Panidar
by Jacquera
Summary: You will all know of Panidar, you will all have heard of him, he's a classic children's character, but this story is how he got to be the character he became. As to who that character is, well, you'll just have to read the story to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

'Panidar,' the woman shouted. 'Panidar, where are you? Come to Mama, Panidar.'

But the little boy hiding in the bushes, giggling at the wonderful game of hide and seek he was playing with his mother, didn't appear.

She shouted again.

And he clamped his hand over his mouth.

He didn't want to give himself away.

He wanted to hide.

He watched as she cupped a hand to her mouth. 'Panidar,' she shouted. 'Panem, come here right now. You have to come in the cave now. It's night time.'

He watched as she started to move away, further along the cliff side, toward the cave the Zelendonii liked to use.

And away from Panidar.

He crawled out of his hiding place. Rubbing the dirt from his hands and knees, he slowly stood up from a crouch and peeks over the bush.

His mother wasn't there anymore. She'd probably gone to the Zelendonii cave to get help.

He started to back away from the bush, keeping an eye constantly on the fire lit cave of the Zelendonii that his mother had disappeared in.

He had to hurry.

Turning, he started to head back to the river that he'd played in for hours with the others today.  
And now he'd play some more.

He grinned.

His friends would be really jealous.

They'd often asked their mothers to let them play outside at night. Had wailed and cried when their mothers had scooped them up and carried them into the cave at the end of the day.

They said it was dangerous for little ones to be outside at night.

But he wasn't a little one. He was a big boy. At three summers old, he could look after himself.

And he didn't believe it was dangerous outside at night.

He thought that the adults were just trying to stop the kids from having fun. That they were being spoilsports.

Well, that is, he thought that until he fell in the river and was swept away by the current.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rocky (Rocky)**

They call me Rocky because I was found on a rock.

This rock.

The one I'm standing on right now.

I wriggle my toes as foamy water hit my feet, as the river roars around the rock.

I was found here. Barely alive. I looked like a drowned rat they tell me. Bedraggled, wet, dirty and very small.

I was small because I was young. Not much more than a toddler.

I must have fallen in the river and been dragged along by its current, but though they tried to find where I was from, they found no one.

No one was missing a young child.

Not nearby anyway.

So I must have come from further away.

And they became my people, my protectors. My new family.

I have no memory of the people I was born to so it doesn't worry me too much.

Though sometimes I wonder what they were like.

And do they miss me?

Does someone cry at night because I'm not there?

Or have they forgotten me?

Maybe given a new child the name I can't remember.

I wonder what it was sometimes. I doubt it was Rocky. That's the sort of name that my new people use.

My sister, well my new mother's daughter, she's called Petal, and my brother is called Tree.

But did my old people name their children after the things around them? Or did they do it differently?

I sit down on the rock, ignoring the way the water makes my leggings wet, and dangle my feet into the fast running river.

Feel the drag.

And close my eyes.

I try to imagine the face of the woman who I was born to, but all I see is the mother I know now.

White blonde hair, bright blue eyes, a smile that lights up her face.

So different to me.

Me with my brown hair.

So different to everyone I know.

And my grey eyes.

No one has grey eyes. Only bright blue or sea green.

And smile. Yeah, I like smiling. But no one has ever commented that it lights my face up. But then, I'm a boy, I'm not supposed to look pretty.

I grin.

Thankfully.

I stand up, and climb down from the rock. Put my hide boots back on, stuff them with the dried grass that came out when I took my feet out, and twist the vine fastenings around my legs.

And then I go back to the cave I live in now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rocky's New Family (Rocky)**

'Rocky,' my little sister runs at me as I enter the cave and attaches herself to my legs. 'I missed you Rocky.'

I bend down and lift her little body until she's level with my face.

She puts her arms around my neck.

So tightly that if I let go off her, she'd just hang there.

'Hello Pretty Petal,' I say, stroking her blonde hair and staring into her eyes, one green, the other a shade of blue. 'What have you been up to today?'

I prise her fingers off my neck and put her down on the rock floor and then crouch down in front of her.

'I've been threading beads for Mummy,' she says. She lifts up a finger, a red dot on it. 'I pricked my finger with the awl.' Tears start to form in her eyes.

'Pretty Petal got a booboo?' I ask.

She nods her head.

'Would a kiss from Rocky make it feel better?'

She grins and pushes her finger toward my face. Nearly poking me up the nose with it.

I kiss it quickly. 'Better?'

She hugs me so hard that I have to throw an arm behind me ti stop myself toppling over and slamming into the floor.

'You spoil her,' a voice says.

I look up and see my beautiful mother, her white blonde hair escaping from where it's piled and secured on top of her head to flutter around her face. Her cheek has a thin streak of blood on it and there's a feather on the shoulder of her tunic.

She smiles.

I stand up and walk toward her. She's only a little taller than me now but as it has been ten summers since they found me so I must be about thirteen, I guess it won't be long until I tower over her.

She reaches out and grabs me in a hug and I kiss her cheek.

The one without blood.

'I know,' I say. 'But she's only little. There will be plenty of time for discipline when she's older.'

My mother laughs. 'And by then, you will be a man and either think you're little sister is a pest or feel so guilty about living your own life that you'll spoil her even more.'

I open my mouth to deny this but then close it and shrug. My mother is right.

I feel little hands pulling at the bottom of my tunic and look down.

Tree, my little brother is stood there. A spear in his hand and a determined look on his face. 'When I'm a man...'

I don't let him say what he'll do when he's a man, I just bend down and start tickling him.

He starts to giggle.

At six summers old, as opposed to my sister Petal who is nearly four, he likes to pretend he's all grown up but he's still only a little boy.

Only a little older than I was when they found me.

I look at my mother but I don't have to ask the question because she already knows what it is. I have asked so many times.

'You've been thinking about them again,' she states.

Not a question, it doesn't have to be a question, it's just a statement.

She knows me so well.

She touches my cheek, tucks a bit of hair behind my ear. 'I wish I knew,' she says. 'I wish I could tell you all about your birth people, but I can't.'

I look down at me bare feet. There's grime under the nail of one of my big toes. 'I just can't help wondering.' 'Is there really no way we can find out?'

She shakes her head.

'But I've heard...'

She sighs. 'What have you heard?'

'There's a woman. She lives in a cave really close to the Endless Sea, I've heard that she can tell you anything. Maybe she could tell me...'

My mother puts her hand up. 'You are too young to make such a journey,' she says. 'Maybe in a couple of summers if you still want to go by then.'

'But...'

'She shakes her head. 'I don't want you going there. Not yet. It's a long journey.'

'I could walk there in two days.'

'Only if you walked through the Cave Lion terratory,' she says. 'And no one has survived when they enter there. You'd be in a Cave Lion's belly before you'd hardly started.'

'I could go the long way.'

'Which would take you a week. You are too young to be away from home for that long.'

'I'm nearly a man,' I try to argue.

'Nearly being the word that will keep you here. Once you've become a man, and left my hearth for the young men's one, then I won't be able to stop you. But for now I can.'

I stamp my foot, sending up rock dust into the air. 'It's not fair,' I say. 'I feel like a man now.'

'Feeling like you are a man is different to actually being one,' she says and then sighs. 'But I do understand you know. I remember I felt very grown up when I was your age but looking back now, I realise how young and inexperienced I was. The world can be a harsh place and you have a lot to learn yet before you start to make your way in it.'

'But...'

She shakes her head. 'I am sorry Rocky.'

And then she turns away, and goes to sort out Petal and Tree who have started fighting. Tree has snatched Petal's doll and is threatening to throw it into the hearth fire. So she's biting his hand.

I take a deep breath, try to put the idea of travelling to see the woman who lives near the Endless Sea away, and catch Petal's doll just as Tree starts to howl and lets go off it.

And then I help Mother separate the two of them as they try to scratch each other's eyes out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Rocky's New People (Rocky)**

'My friends,' Thunder, the leader says as he stands in front of the roaring fire we've built outside.

The leader and also the mate of my new mother.

'Tonight,' he says. 'Tonight, we celebrate the start of summer. This, our last night in our cave before we go to the summer meeting, is a time for jubilation. For happiness. Tomorrow, we have a hard journey to make, that will take many days and face us with much danger. But this is our way of life, to suffer, to face dangers so the things we enjoy, the things we want to do, are so much the better. Without hardship can be no life.' He raises the wooden cup he's got in his hand. 'To our people,' he says. 'To our people and the summer meeting of the Ambes.'

Everyone cheers, me included. Someone hands me a drink. I stare at the slightly bubbling liquid, amber in the approaching gloom of night.

I look up and see my mother nodding at me. Giving her agreement that I may drink it.

If I want to.

I am almost a man, and with that as well as many demands comes pleasures. One of which is the drinking of Boozing. The amber liquid that some say the Mother, Amber herself, gave to us to enjoy.

I take a sip, and start to choke.

And I hear laughter.

Someone smacks me on the back, not hard, friendly, and I look around to see the mate of my mother, the man of my hearth, the leader. The man they call Thunder.

He's got a big grin on his face.

'Boozing is an acquired taste,' he says. 'You will get used to its strange flavours, but now you are on the cusp of manhood, you must know that too much gives a very sore head in the morning.'

I nod. 'I was only going to have this one cup,' I say, though truly, I don't think I even want to have that.

'Good boy,' he says, and then laughs again. 'Or should I say, good man?'

I feel my chest puff out with pride.

Pride that this man in front of me, this giant of a man, with thick cords of muscles in his legs and arms, with a chest that's strong, and a stomach rippled with muscles, that this man who could rip a young tree out of the ground, is calling me a man. And looking at me, his face framed by wild masses of long white blond hair, which is starting to go grey, with some of the kindest blue eyes that have ever existed, or ever will.

I smile at him.

'Enjoy the celebration,' he says as he puts an arm around me, hugs me and then leaves.

I watch him go. See that he limps ever so slightly. An old injury from when he was my age and out hunting. Attacked by a lone wolf. A lone wolf, whose fur no adorns the wall of our shelter. He killed it but not before it nearly killed him.

But now, as he gets older, I can see that it is starting to trouble him. And at night, I have heard my mother as she rubs an ointment of it for him. She tells him to slow down, to let the younger men do more, but he just laughs and then makes her squeal.

I blink. I really do not want to think about what Thunder and my mother, Ocean do at night.

I stare at the amber liquid in my cup again and raise it to my lips. This time it doesn't make me choke. I'm expecting the burn. Though I must say, I'm not to fond on the taste.

But when I swallow, it leaves a burning trail down my throat and I can almost feel its heat in my stomach.

A comforting heat.

I take another sip.

'Hey,' someone says, and I turn around.

A boy, my age is stood in front of me. He also has a cup, though seems to have drunk more than I have.

Though that is not surprising.

I know for a fact that Storm has drunk Boozing before tonight. Not that he was old enough, just that he'd snuck into the Boozing stores one night and got drunk.

I grin as I remember him rolling around on the cave floor.

He'd drunk so much, that he couldn't get up. When he's tried, he's staggered to the cave wall, and shouted, oh so loudly, that the cave was on top of a river, and he could feel the waves.

I'm not sure if he meant the sensation of waves or if he's wet himself.

I never found out, before Thunder has come then, and led him off to his mother.

She wasn't very happy, neither were many of the people in the cave. He was punished and then all the young people were told in so uncertain terms that they were not to touch the Boozing until the night before they left for the summer meeting in their thirteenth year, and even then, they were never to help themselves.

And that anyone found drunk before then, would be tied to rock in the river until they'd sobered up.

Though, I don't think they'd really do that. When everyone else was looking scared, and the adults worried, I'm pretty sure I saw a small grin on Thunder's face.

Storm puts his arm around my shoulder.

'How ya doin' Rocky?' he slurs. 'I see ya's got some of the amber liquid. Good ain't it?'

'Um.'

He frowns. 'Ya don't like it?'

'It is an acquired taste,' I say, remember Thunder's words. 'I think I like it.'

'Just drink it.'

'I am.'

'Don't sip it light a girl,' he snorts. 'Gulp it down like you're dying of thirst.'

'But…'

'Just do it.'

I put the cup to my mouth and tip a mouthful into my mouth, swallow, and then start to choke again.

I look up at him with watering eyes.

He laughs. 'That'sa bit better. Now, I'm gonna go and get another drink, I'll get ya one too.'

'I don't…'

But he's already walking to the Boozing man.

I sigh and look back at the remains of the Boozing in my cup. Now the gulp has gone down, and my eyes have stopped watering, I can feel a ball of heat in my stomach. Before I can think about it, I lift the cup to my mouth and gulp down the rest of the liquid.

And choke again.

I'm still coughing a bit when he comes back and pushes another cup into me hand.

'I don't…'

'Drink it.'

'But I told…'

'Ya nearly a man now,' he says. 'Men don't let others rule them.'

'What about Thunder? He rules the other men.'

Storm nods his head. 'That's different.' He gulps down half of the drink in his cup. 'He's in control, but promising your mother you won't get drunk, well…'

'Actually, my mother didn't say anything. It was Thunder who I promised…'

'Oh, in that case,' Storm takes the cup off me, hands me his empty one, and drains mine in one go. 'One thing that a man must always do is obey the leader.' He laughs. 'I'll drink ya share of the Boozing. You can drink the fruit juice with the other old women.'

I widen my eyes.

And he laughs. 'Ya know I'm only kiddin ' ya don't ya Rocky boy? Ya me best mate.'

'Yes, and I will probably be helping you walk tomorrow,' I say. 'Or carrying you over my shoulder.'

'I promise not to spew down ya back.' He grins and starts to head back to the Boozing man.

'No, you won't,' I say. 'Because you're not going to have any more Boozing.'

'What?'

'You heard me. You've had enough. Come on, I'll get you a nice cup of grape juice.'

'Fermented?' His eyes gleam.

'No, not fermented.'

'Oh ya no fun,' he says. 'I'm going to be stuck in a tent for the summer meeting with someone who's no fun.'

'Oh, we'll have fun,' I say. 'I guarantee that, but our fun won't be found in the bottom of a cup, or by getting so drunk that we can't do anything but sleep. This summer meeting is going to be the best yet.'

'Yep,' he agrees. 'Our first as men.'

'Well, young men.'

'Young men,' he says and nods his head.

'But first we have to get there, and I really think you'll find it a lot easier if you don't wake up in the morning with a momentous headache.'

'I guess. Okay, fruit juice for me. I wouldn't want to fall down a hill or anything.'

'No.'

'And we're going to have fun at the summer meeting.'

I nod. 'We are. It will be our first step of not being children anymore.'

'And not ruled by our mothers.'

I nod my head as I drag him toward the table where the fruit juice bag is. 'Not ruled by our mothers,' I repeat, and grin.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Next Day (Rocky) **

just like I warned him, Storm has a Boozing hangover. Crouching down next to where he's sleeping, I try to drag his fur away from him.

'Leave me alone Mummy,' he groans, grabbing hold of the fur and pulling it back over him. 'I don't want to get up.'

He put his thumb in his mouth.

'Get up you great, lazy lump and I'm not your mummy,' I laugh.

His eyes blink open, he pulls his thumb out of his mouth and sits up.

And then grabs his head and groans.

'Told you that you shouldn't have had all that Boozing last night.'

'Shut up,' he says, his eyes squeezed tight. 'I'm ill.'

'Hmmm, and so are a lot of others this morning. Thunder has made some of his morning after tea. Do you want me to get you some?'

He nods his head and then groans again.

'I feel like I've got a hundred flint knappers in my head all make tools.'

I touch his arm and then stand up. 'I'll be back in a moment.'

I walk over to the other side of rhe cave. I enter my family's shelter and am immediately hit by the aroma of drying lavender mixed with smoke. My mother is busy heating up the remains of the broth we had for lunch yesterday, dropping hot rocks from the fire into it.

'Don't tell me you've got a Boozing hangovee?' my mother asks as I head towards tea Thunder has made. 'I thought you knew better than to overindulge in that muck.'

I turn to see her standing with her hands on her hips. Her blue eyes are glaring at me and her mouth is twisted into a scowl.

A muscle twitches in her cheek.

'I only had one cup mother.'

'You couldn't have. Not if you've got a hangover.' Her eyes widen. ''Unless someone gave you drinks and told you they were just juice. Oh my poor baby,' she rushes over to me and throws her arms around me.

'I havent got a hangover Mother. I'm getting the tea for...'

Her eyes widen even further. 'Who?'

I shake my head.

'Who Rocky?' she demands.

'It doesn't...'

'If one of your friends has got drunk enough to need Pasque Flower tea then it does matter.'

I sigh. I might as well tell her. She could follow me back to my froend's shelter anyway.

'It's Storm.'

'Ah, yes,' she nods. 'A very troubled young man.' She picks up a cup and spoons some tea into it. Passes it to me. And then hurries back to the broth and spoons some into a bowl. 'After he's drank the pasque flower tea, get him to eat this. And then you come back and I'll do you a bowl too.'

I nod and take the bowl and cup. 'Thank you.'

She smiles. 'You're a good kind boy but make sure you don't follow that Storm into trouble. Because he will lead you there if you let him.'

'I won't let him mother,' I say quietly as I walk passed her.

'Good.' She ruffles my hair. 'Oh and Rocky.'

'Yes?'

'Tell him that he needs to drink plenty of water today.'

'I will.'


	6. Chapter 6

**To the summer meeting we shall go (Rocky)**

We set off just as the sun fills the valley in front of our cave. I travel with my family, helping my brother when he stumbles and carrying my sister when her feet grew too tired to walk.

She gripped my hair tightly but not pulling.

Toward the back of our people, I can see Storm. He's stumbling a bit as if he's half asleep but my place is with my family and he with his.

I will spend some time with him once we stop for the night.

'Tell me a story,' Petal demands.

Holding onto my sister's ankles that rest against my chest, I start to weave my tale.

'A long time ago when the sea was higher and our world was not covered in ice, long before our people had come to these lands but lived in a far hotter one where the sun scorched the trees, the grass and the people for hours and finding water was hard, there lived a little girl. Her mother had died some time before and her father had mated again. The new woman though wasn't very nice to the little girl or her twin brother.'

'Nala and Neb?'

I gently tug her leg and twist my head to look at her. 'Am I telling this story or are you?'

'Shut up Petal,' my brother Tree says as he walks next to me. 'I want to hear this story.'

'Sorry.'

I carry on telling my story. 'Yes, they were called Nala and Neb, names not found within our people but they were from long ago and their people used different ways to name their children. Anyway, the new mate of their father wasn't very nice and she was particularly unpleasant to Nala and Neb. And their father knew nothing. He was just glad to have a new wife and only saw the beauty of her outer shell and not the evilness of her spirit within. He didn't notice when she pulled Nala's hair when she was plaiting it and thought the cup of scalding water that spilled over Neb's hand had tipped by accident. And Nala and Neb didn't tell their father when she sent them out looking for nettles in the hot summer sun. And they didn't complain when she treated their stings with salt.'

'Bet someone complained though. Salt is rare and precious.'

I look at my mother. 'The step mother stole the salt, only a little and told Nala and Neb that they must never reveal to others about their treatment or she would slit their father's throat and then come looking for them. And they had grown so scared of her, that they kept quiet. But bit by bit, their stepmother increased her cruelty to them and managed to manouvre their father away from them by whispering ideas in his ears.'

'What ideas?'

'Oh, just little things. Saying that Neb needed to spend time with the hunters or that Nala should be spending more time with the other girls as she was growing up. She only suggested sensible things. Things that made sense. And all the while she would say she wanted to spend more time with him. That she was lonely and her own people were far away and he was all she had. She simpered, curled her hair, scrubbed her cheeks with her fists until they made her look like she was blushing. She used berries to redden her lips and wore short and revealing tunics. And she drugged his food so that sometimes he hardly knew where he was and what he should be doing. And so she cossetted him, surrounded him, controlled him.'

'She used spells too because she were a witch,' Petal says, jumping up and down on my shoulders.

'Yes. A witch. Maybe,' I agree. 'She seemed to have a witches' sway over him anyway. So when she suggested that they should visit the old woman that lived in a cave nearby, he didn't object. Nor did he blink when she said the old woman was her aunt though he hadn't known. He waved the three of them off as they set off with their stepmother, pressing grain cakes into Neb's hands for them to eat on the way and then went back to his furs to sleep.'

'A grown man going back to his furs in the day and having no concern about his children?' Mother snorts. 'Disgusting.'

I nod my head. I'm at the start of adulthood and even I know that going to the furs during the day, unless sick, is a disgraceful thing to do. I have been helping the adults and older boys and girls since I was five summers, two years after I was washed up on my rock. That was how our society works and I can only assume every other one too, even back during the time of Nala and Neb.

'He was ill though,' I say. 'He was being drugged. Anyway the stepmother took Nala and Neb and led them into the nearby forest. A forest that was dark and thick with trees and just a bit creepy. Their stepmother said that her aunt lived on the other side of it and loved children. For hours they walked through the trees, twisting and turning through them, sometimes doubling back, at other times it almost felt like they were walking in circles. But just when the children thought that their stepmother was lost, that they would wander the forest for the rest of their days, she pushed them passed a last few trees and into an open area. She pointed up to a cave where fire light was flooding out of its mouth into the now dark night and told them to hurry before the wolves got them. And then she stepped back into the forest and was gone, the sound of her feet crashing through the undergrowth fading to nothing. Nala took a step toward the path that led up to the cave but Neb pulled her back.'

'We're not going in there,' Petal says. 'That's what he said isn't it?'

'It is indeed. And Nala said?'

'It's not safe out here. The wolves will eat us if we don't find somewhere safe.'

'Yes. But there were no wolves. And that's what Neb told her. He told her that she didn't have to be scared as there were no wolves nearby, they'd have heard them howling if there were. And even so, he had his sling and a couple of stones in his stone bag left. And he could get more so she didn't need to be scared and she shouldn't go up the path.'

'Why was there only a couple of stones in his stone bag?' Tree asks. 'Seems pretty silly to go around with only a couple of stones when they are so easy to find.' And as if to illustrate, he bends down and picks up a stone and puts it in his own bag.

'Ah yes,' I grin. 'That is a good question and also one that Nala asked.'

'So how did Neb answer her?' he asks.

'He didn't,' Petal says.

'He didn't?'

I shake my head. 'He didn't tell her. He showed her. Took her hand and led her back into the forest. And showed her a trail of small stones leading off through the trees.'

'Did he drop them?' Tree asks. 'Why?'

Petal smacks her forehead. At least I think that's what she does. It sounds like that anyway.

'Are you stupid?' she asks.

'What did you call me?' Tree steps toward us and tries to hit Petal.

'Hey,' I grab his arm. 'Don't try to hurt your sister. And you young lady.' I tap her on the knee, not hard. 'Don't call your brother stupid.'

'But can't he see that Neb dropped the stones to make a path through the forest so they could get home?'

'Well he does now.' I look down at Tree. 'Neb did make a path and the two of them followed it and got back to their cave just as their stepmother was telling their father that she'd left them with her aunt who loved children. He was overjoyed to see them and pulled them onto his lap and hugged them. The stepmother wasn't happy though. And so she started to sigh about how her aunt had planned to have the children for dinner and would be upset they hadn't come until the father said she could take them the next day.'

'After she ran off?' Tree gasps. 'She just left them there.'

I shrug. 'The next day they set off again, their father giving them grain cakes again and their stepmother making sure Neb didn't have his stone bag. They walked through the forest again, leaving it just as night had arrived. And then the stepmother ran back into the forest again and Nala started to climb the path that led up to the cave, stones skittering under her feet. Except once again Neb pulled her back and into the forest. But there wasn't a path of stones for them to follow this time.'

'So did they go into the cave?'

'No stu...' Petal starts to say. 'They didn't go into the cave because Neb had made a different sort of path for them to follow.'

'Yes he had,' I agree. 'When the stepmother wasn't looking he'd grabbed twigs from the forest floor and put them in a trail. And they followed the twig trail back to their cave. And once again, their father was happy to see them and their stepmother wasn't. She moaned again and their father agreed that her aunt must be sad that they'd not visited and that they should go the next day.'

'And did they?' my brother asks.

'They did,' Petal says.

I nod my head. 'The next morning they set off again, the father giving Neb the grain cakes for him and his sister. Once they entered the forest, she kicked the twigs trail that Neb had made the day before into the undergrowth so there was no path to follow and kept a beady eye on them She led them through the forest, arriving at the clearing just as night came. And left them there for the third night. Nala once again started to climb the path, trembling when a creaky voice came from the cave asking who had come for dinner. But Neb pulled her back and told her that he'd made another path. One with their grain cakes. He led her back into the forest just in time to see a squirrel run away with the last crumb of their path through the forest.'

'They were trapped,' Petal says smugly. 'They had no alternative than to climb the path and go into the cave.'

'No, they didn't have any choice,' I agree. 'Because as they stood in the forest, they heard the howl of a wolf and it was nearby. They ran out of that forest in fright and straight into a plumb woman. Who prodded their arms and stomachs and said they weren't very big.'

'What a strange thing to say.'

'Ha!' Petal shrieks. 'You'll see.'

'The woman, their stepmother's aunt led them into her cave and gave them berry cakes to eat. And soon they became sleepy and fell asleep. And when they woke up, well Neb woke up to find himself tied up and Nala woke up to the face of the stepmother's aunt's looming over her and telling her she must work or she would kill her brother. And do you know what her work was?'

'I do,' Petal shouts.

I look at Tree who shakes his head. 'She had to sweep the floor?'

I laugh. 'Yes, she probably had to do that but her main job was cooking. Cooking and feeding her brother. And over the next days and weeks, with more food than he'd ever had before, he grew fatter and fatter.'

'But?'

'She were fattening him up,' Petal says.

'Why was she fattening him up?'

'So she could eat him,' I say. 'And each day she'd feel Neb's hand to see if it was plumper and prod his stomach.'

'Didn't Nala realise what...'

'Not at first. But soon she did. Especially when the woman started sharpening her flint knives, preparing a large fire in the cave and singing about how much she loved children.'

'Children stew, children cakes, children roasted on a spit, children soup, children spice, children cooked in a pot of veggies,' Petal sings with delight.

'Yeah, that's the song she sang. Anyway, Nala didn't want her brother eaten and neither did she want to be eaten either. So when the woman was sleeping, she managed to untie him. But he was too fat to run The next morning, when the woman made the fire even bigger and fierier, Nala pushed her into it and as she was screaming, helped Neb to stand up and led him out of the cave. Where they met their father, and some of the other men from their cave who'd come searching for them.'

'What did they say about her pushing the woman into the fire?'

'Well, they helped the woman. Put out the flames and then took her, along with Nala and Neb, back to their cave.'

'I bet Nala was in trouble.'

I shake my head. 'No, because the rest of the cave had noticed how changed the father had become and also didn't like the way the stepmother had been treating Nala and Neb. So they'd stepped in and eventually, the stepmother had said, laughing as she did, that her aunt loved children. To eat. And that they would be dead. By then the father, having not eaten any of the stepmother's drugged food, was feeing better and demanded that they search for Nala and Neb. Which is what they did.'

'And found them in the nick of time,' my mother says.

'What happened to the stepmother and her aunt?'

'Ah, they were taken to the summer meeting when the leaders discussed how to punish them. In the end it was decided that they would live. They were taken back to the aunt's cave and after making sure that there were no tunnnels out of it, they were put in it and a stone wall was built in the mouth of the cave with just a small opening for air to pass through and so that Nala and Neb's people could give them food so they didn't starve. And it was always guarded by at least two men. And do you know what?'

''What?' Petal shrieks. 'What? I don't know this.'

'Some say that their ghosts are still there.'

'Ooooh.'

'And...'

'And?'

'They say that though their spirits are trapped in that cave, that they can send part of themselves into any unoccupied cave as they search for more children to eat.'

I feel Petal shudder. 'Mother?' she says.

Mother laughs. 'That's what they say Petal but you don't have to be scared as you shouldn't be going into any caves on your own anyway. It's too dangerous.'

'Because of them?'

'Because you might get lost.'

'It's just a story Petal,' I say. 'You don't have to be frightened because no one will ever hurt you. I won't let them.'

She hugs me.

'What about me?' Tree asks, his eye wide.

I ruffle his hair. 'And you too. I won't let anyone or anything hurt either of you and neither would mother or father.'


	7. Chapter 7

**The summer meeting (Rocky)**

When we arrive five days later, the summer meeting is already in full swing. But those that have been enjoying all that the meeting offers come running to us when we arrive.

We are enveloped into our friends and families that live in other caves, hands patting our backs, arms hugging us.

A boy picks up a girl a couple of years older than me and spins her around before kissing her. She blushes, but accepts his hand holding hers and after saying goodbye to her mother, goes off toward the tent of the young people.

Those that intend to marry.

I blush myself when I realise that I was staring at them, as they stop and kiss.

'That will be us in a few years,' Storm says as he sidles up next to me. 'Though off course, the girls will be all chasing after me, but I won't let one catch me too quickly.'

I snort. 'Yeah, sure you won't. If a girl chatted you up, I think you'd faint with embarrassment.'

'No I wouldn't.'

I shake my head. I know the truth, and I know what my friend is like. He shows off, makes himself out to be really big and brave, but inside, he's just a shaking boy. Shy.

'Ask your mother if you can come with me to the wrestling?' he asks.

'I don't think…'

He tilts his head to one side.

'I will come, but not yet. There's too much to do first.'

'But we're not even going to stay here,' he says. 'Do you not want to see the young men's tent?'

'I thought you wanted to see the wrestling.'

He grins. 'Well, I do. I want to go there, and I want to go to the Boozing tent, and the food one, and loads of other places too, but most of all, I want to claim a spot in the young man's tent. The best ones will already be gone already, but we might be able to get a couple of nice places. I think about half of the caves have arrived. If we wait too long, we might find ourselves sleeping outside.'

'But I need to…'

'You two, what are you still doing here?' a voice says, a voice that belongs to Thunder. 'You should be heading over to the young men's tent.'

'See, even the leader knows where we should be going and what we should do.'

'But I need to help here first.'

Thunder slaps me on the back and laughs. 'There are plenty of men to set up our camp. You two get over to the young men's tents before you find yourself sleeping outside in the rain.'

'But…'

Storm pushes me, away from a smiling Thunder and toward the far side of the summer meeting where the young men's tent will be.

'Come on Rocky. We've got stuff to do.'

'And Rocky…'

'I turn around to look at Thunder.

'Don't forget your pack.'


	8. Chapter 8

**All the fun of the summer meeting (Rocky)**

I put my pack on my back, and then run after Storm who's already striding off toward the centre of the summer meeting. Waving at my little sister Petal, I run after him and am soon immersed in all the joy and fun of the summer meeting. We pass stalls where women are staring at shells and polished stones that someone has made into necklaces and earrings. I watch as a young girl stands nervously to one side, as two larger women tussle at the platform in front of her, before she ducks her head down and twists her body through the gap between them so she can see what is on offer. But we don't stop, I'm not really interested in jewellery anyway.

We hear the music before we reach the next tent. A high pitched flute playing along with drums and shakers. I glance in through the tent entrance to see people sitting around in the dim interior, playing their instruments, nodding their heads.

A woman sings.

But we hurry passed it. Maybe we'll come back soon though. I'm partial to a bit of music making myself.

We pass another area where a man is busy telling a story, adults and children, young and old, sitting crossed legged around him.

And then I smell the aroma of freshly baked apples.

I see a man baking the fruit on hot rocks. He picks them them up, bouncing them from one hand to another, which shows how hot they are, and puts them on a platform, drizzling honey over them.

Storm heads right for the table.

'Hello Rocky,' the man says. 'I wondered when you would all arrive. Are you in the young men's tent this year?'

I nod my head, and smile at the brother of Thunder.

'And little Storm too?' he teases. 'I remember when I used to bounce you on my knee when you were a baby. I also remember you messed on me.'

Storm blushes.

'Hello Lightning,' I say. I nod at the apples. 'How much?'

'For my favourite nephew and his messy friend?' he laughs and picks two of the cooler apples up and puts them in wooden bowls. 'Do me a favour and you can have them for nothing.'

Storm grabs a bowl, and starts to stuff the apple into his mouth but I am more cautious. 'What do you want us to do?'


	9. Chapter 9

**The Favour (Rocky)**

Lightning smiles. 'You don't have to look so worried. I'm not about to ask you to climb the nearest cliff in search of eggs or run around the summer meeting naked. I just want you to take something to my daughter. A trinket I bartered for that I know she'll love.'

I frown 'Don't you want to give it to her yourself?'

He shrugs. 'I'm going to be busy here until nightfall and I know she wouldn't want to wait until then.'

'We do it if you give us more baked apple,' Storm says, his mouth still full. 'This is delicious.'

I remember his daughter from previous summer meetings. A pretty girl who always wanted to hang around with us boys and climb trees instead of playing with dolls like the other girls. I remember last year when she had a fight with Storm and ended up covered in mud. Her mother hadn't been happy when she came back to their tent with her blonde hair in muddy dreadlocks and her clothes stiff with dried mud. I can't imagine that girl being interested on a trinket especially the blue shell necklace my uncle is holding out to me. I'm sure she'll hate it.

'Where is she?' I ask, taking the necklace from his hand.

She's at the far side of the camp, with her mother,' he says. 'Getting ready for the first ceremony of womanhood.'

Storm put his bowl down and grins. 'In the young women's tent?'

Lightning nods his head.

Storm tries to grab the necklace of me. 'I'll take it to her,' he says.

Lightning shakes his head. 'Rocky is a relative so he is allowed to take the necklace to her but you Storm, you should stay away.'

'Oh man,' Storm groans. 'It's not fair. I want to see the young women too.'

'And that is why you are not being asked,' Lightning says. 'They don't want you watching them as I'm sure you wouldn't want them spying on you.'

I laugh at that. Because I'm pretty certain that Storm would live it if some of the young women wanted to watch him.

'So will you take it to her?'

I look at the blue necklace again. 'Surely she's not old enough to be in the young women's tent.'

Lightning smiles. 'She has grown up a lot since you saw her last summer,' he says. 'I think you will be surprised how much.'


	10. Chapter 10

**Violet (Violet)**

I had my first bleed a few months back, at the time when the ice was starting to break on the river. Just before we had our Spring Celebration. When I told my mother, she was so excited.

I was just in pain, and though I had looked forward to being a woman, wanted at that time to be a girl again.

I mean. Bleeding. Down there. It's sort of disgusting. And my stomach. Hurt.

It felt like I had a stone in there, that kept hitting my vital organs in a relentless throb.

And my mother? She was off in her own world, planning how the Spring Celebration would include me.

There were already a few girls who'd had their first time already involved.

But my mother was full of plans, and rushed off to tell my father that I had to be included.

Leaving me. And my hurting stomach.

My father though. When they came back to our hearth, he looked at me. His little girl. A woman now. He smiled at me. Blushed a bit I think. And then asked if I was in pain.

And that is when time seem to slow down. Well it didn't really but my mother just stood there. Staring at me. Her face going pale. She stared at me as she realised that through all her plans, that she hadn't made sure I was okay.

And when I nodded my head and told my father. And my mother. That my stomach did hurt.

Then?

She flew. She flew to the back of our hearth, pulling out baskets, grabbing a packet of herbs, and taking them over to our fire. She took a carved cup, filled it with some of the herbs and hot water and some honey and then brought it over to me.

'I am sorry Violet,' she said. 'I was so happy about my little girl becoming a woman, I didn't stop to think that you might be hurting.'

I smiled and nodded my head.

'I, a healer, and I don't make sure my own daughter is okay. I am ashamed.'

I picked up the cup and blew at the steam coming from it.

And my father put his arm around my mother. He hugged her.

'You're only human,' he said.

I sipped some of the liquid, felt it flow hot down my throat and into my stomach. And then looked at my mother. 'You were excited,' I said. 'I know how long you have been planning my coming of age. You simply forgot. And you are the best healer of all our people.' I hugged her too.

But that was ages ago now. And I reckon she's forgotten all about it.

Because now it is the summer meeting. And I am in the young women's tent. Preparing for the first ceremony of womanhood.

My mother is with me. As she should be. She helped me choose the outfit I would wear. A long tunic, bleached white, its fringing coming to my knees. It is decorated with clear stones that I know will glint tonight in the firelight.

My feet are bare, as they should be.

And I wear a blue bracelet on each wrist.

Made with blue stones.

A pair of blue stones also adorn my ears.

My mother has woven my hair in little plaits that are arranged to pile in a sort of basket shape on top of my head.

And now we are just standing around.

Waiting.

For the time when the ceremony will start.

And for something else too.

You see, I never knew. It's something that is part of the mystery of womanhood. Something they don't share.

I have only just been told. And I had to say I would never tell anyone, until I have a daughter of my own who is entering womanhood.

It is a great secret. All the adults know. But the children? No. They don't. And neither do the young men just entering adulthood.

For you see, the thing we are waiting for is a necklace. A blue necklace that my father will give to the young man he has chosen to be my husband.

He will bring it to me.

I wonder who my father has chosen?


	11. Chapter 11

**The young women's tent (Rocky)**

When I get to the young women's tent I have to wait outside. But I can see into the dark interior of the tent where young women stand with older ones. Or sit eating as a grey haired woman runs around looking nervous.

One particular girl, her white hair stained with some sort of pale green dye screams as an older woman tries to plait shells into it.

'That hurts,' she moans. 'Stop pulling my hair.'

'If you would just sit still then it wouldn't hurt,' the woman says, her face turning red with what I can only assume is anger.

'But you keep pulling it.'

'It has to be tight or the shells will fall out.'

What a brat.

I can see I'm not the only one who thinks that. Another girl standing nearby is shaking her head and tutting at the girl's behaviour.

I lean forward to look at her. She's wearing a white tunic and looks familiar.

'Can I help you?' a woman says as she steps in front of me. 'You shouldn't be here.'

I swallow hard. 'I was asked to bring something to one of the girls.'

'Oh?'

'It's a necklace, made with blue stones.'

I start to pull it out of my pocket but stop when I realise who this woman is.

My aunt.

My cousin's mother.

The wife of Lightning. I can't remember her name.

'It's me, Rocky,' I say. 'Lightning asked me to bring this mecklace to...'

'Rocky?' she laughs. 'You've grown.'

I nod my head.

'ANd Lightning sent you?'

'Yes. He asked me to do him a favour and bring the necklace...'

She smiles. And reaches out and squeezes my arm. 'You're young yet but yes, you'll do. My husband has made a fine choice.'

'Pardon?'

'Oh nothing. Give me the necklace and I will make sure my daughter gets it.

'Can't I give it to her?'

She shakes her head 'No men or boys are allowed in the young women's tent and they, the young women have to stay inside until nightfall. They aren't even allowed to come to the tent's flaps to talk to a visitor.

'But...'

I sigh as I hand the necklace over and turn away from the tent. But I still Hear the voice as I hurry away.

A girl's voice.

Or a young woman's voice.

'Was that Rocky?'

I think about turning around.

Instead, I start to run.

Heading toward the young men's tent.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Young Men's Tent (Rocky)**

When I get back to the young men's tent, what do I find? Storm having a fight with another boy. I can't leave him alone for a moment without him getting into trouble.

And trouble it is, because the young man is bigger than him. Taller, wider, more muscles, and he is pounding on my friend, who is struggling to fight.

Storm actually slaps the other young man.

Around them, are a group of other young men. Shouting. Most of them backing the other young man, but a couple are shouting for Storm.

I'm shouting too. I'm shouting that he's an idiot.

A big idiot, because I know this young man who he's fighting, and whereas Storm is always in trouble, the other young man tends to be in a lot of fights too. Because he's a wrestler.

Storm picked a fight with one of the wrestlers.

I can't believe my friend. He's mad.

I push my way through the other young men, and then head for the two fighting. Grab the wrestler's back, and yank him back.

A fist flies toward my face, but I dodge out of the way.

'Stop,' I say. Talking to the other young man, who's got his hand on Storm's forehead, holding him back while he turns to look at me.

Storm hits out with his fists, and misses every time, mainly because the other young man's arms are longer than his.

It would actually be quite comical, if it wasn't for Storm getting himself into trouble he can't handle once again.

'What did he do?' I ask the other young man, trying desperately to remember his name.

'He called me a wimp.'

I blink, and arch my eyebrows up. 'He called you a wimp so you decided to beat on him?'

The other young man nods his head. 'No one calls me a wimp.'

'He is a wimp,' Storm shouts. 'I asked him if he was going to go swimming in the lake and he shuddered. He's afraid of water.'

Ah, now I remember him. River. River who is afraid of water. It is quite bad really that someone who is named after water is afraid of it, but it's not surprising really. His father and older brother were taken by the river a couple of years ago. But when they were washed up, unlike me, it was found that they'd drowned. River has been afraid of water ever since, won't even go in it much beyond the shallow edge to wash himself.

And Storm is quite aware of this, and definitely knows why he is like he is.

'Tell him you're sorry,' I say to Storm.

'No.'

River lurches around and hits Storm in the face.

'Ow, that hurt.'

'Just tell him you're sorry, before he beats you to a pulp.'

'But I'm not sorry.'

'Storm'

'He's a little runt,' River says. 'I'm going to make him sorry he called me a wimp.'

'I won't ever be sorry for calling you a wimp, wimp,' Storm says, spitting out blood.

'Storm. Are you mad?'

He grins.

I look at River. 'Just let him go. Okay. So he called you a wimp. He's an idiot. Are you really bothered what an idiot calls you?'

'Hey,' Storm objects.

'I suppose,' River responds. 'But I'm not a wimp.' He hits Storm one last time, and then walks away.

I just about stop Storm from running after him.

'You are an idiot Storm,' I tell him. 'I leave you for a short while and I come back and find you in a fight. He could have killed you.'

Storm shakes his head. 'I was winning.'

I snort.

'I was. I had him right where I wanted him. Another minute or two and I would have won.'

'Yeah right.' I drag him outside. 'You need to get cleaned up.'

He looked down at his bloodied tunic. 'Yep,' he responds. And then he shouts. 'I'll go to the lake and have a wash, because I'm not frightened of a bit of water.'

'Storm,' I groan, pushing him away from the young men's tent as fast as I can. 'Do you have a death wish?'

He grins.

'So,' he says as we reach the lake. 'How was your lovely cousin?'


	13. Chapter 13

**The Young Men's Tent (Rocky)**

When I get back to the young men's tent, what do I find? Storm having a fight with another boy. I can't leave him alone for a moment without him getting into trouble.

And trouble it is, because the young man is bigger than him. Taller, wider, more muscles, and he is pounding on my friend, who is struggling to fight.

Storm actually slaps the other young man.

Around them, are a group of other young men. Shouting. Most of them backing the other young man, but a couple are shouting for Storm.

I'm shouting too. I'm shouting that he's an idiot.

A big idiot, because I know this young man who he's fighting, and whereas Storm is always in trouble, the other young man tends to be in a lot of fights too. Because he's a wrestler.

Storm picked a fight with one of the wrestlers.

I can't believe my friend. He's mad.

I push my way through the other young men, and then head for the two fighting. Grab the wrestler's back, and yank him back.

A fist flies toward my face, but I dodge out of the way.

'Stop,' I say. Talking to the other young man, who's got his hand on Storm's forehead, holding him back while he turns to look at me.

Storm hits out with his fists, and misses every time, mainly because the other young man's arms are longer than his.

It would actually be quite comical, if it wasn't for Storm getting himself into trouble he can't handle once again.

'What did he do?' I ask the other young man, trying desperately to remember his name.

'He called me a wimp.'

I blink, and arch my eyebrows up. 'He called you a wimp so you decided to beat on him?'

The other young man nods his head. 'No one calls me a wimp.'

'He is a wimp,' Storm shouts. 'I asked him if he was going to go swimming in the lake and he shuddered. He's afraid of water.'

Ah, now I remember him. River. River who is afraid of water. It is quite bad really that someone who is named after water is afraid of it, but it's not surprising really. His father and older brother were taken by the river a couple of years ago. But when they were washed up, unlike me, it was found that they'd drowned. River has been afraid of water ever since, won't even go in it much beyond the shallow edge to wash himself.

And Storm is quite aware of this, and definitely knows why he is like he is.

'Tell him you're sorry,' I say to Storm.

'No.'

River lurches around and hits Storm in the face.

'Ow, that hurt.'

'Just tell him you're sorry, before he beats you to a pulp.'

'But I'm not sorry.'

'Storm'

'He's a little runt,' River says. 'I'm going to make him sorry he called me a wimp.'

'I won't ever be sorry for calling you a wimp, wimp,' Storm says, spitting out blood.

'Storm. Are you mad?'

He grins.

I look at River. 'Just let him go. Okay. So he called you a wimp. He's an idiot. Are you really bothered what an idiot calls you?'

'Hey,' Storm objects.

'I suppose,' River responds. 'But I'm not a wimp.' He hits Storm one last time, and then walks away.

I just about stop Storm from running after him.

'You are an idiot Storm,' I tell him. 'I leave you for a short while and I come back and find you in a fight. He could have killed you.'

Storm shakes his head. 'I was winning.'

I snort.

'I was. I had him right where I wanted him. Another minute or two and I would have won.'

'Yeah right.' I drag him outside. 'You need to get cleaned up.'

He looked down at his bloodied tunic. 'Yep,' he responds. And then he shouts. 'I'll go to the lake and have a wash, because I'm not frightened of a bit of water.'

'Storm,' I groan, pushing him away from the young men's tent as fast as I can. 'Do you have a death wish?'

He grins.

'So,' he says as we reach the lake. 'How was your lovely cousin?'


	14. Chapter 14

**The Opening Ceremony (Rocky)**

All the living tents and stalls and activity tents are arranged in a big circle with an area in the middle with nothing but a large bonfire. After we've washed and changed our clothes, this is the area we head to, arriving just as the sun is setting.

Around the outskirts of the area that has been cleared of rubble, the long grass stamped on until its flattened to the ground, men light torches.

And the smell of food cooking drifts over the whole area.

We keep to the back, watching over others' shoulders as the leaders of each cave meet in the middle, by the bonfire, and sit on a raised platform.

One man steps forward and blows on a large shell that sends out a high sharp sound to tell everyone the ceremony is starting.

I grab Storm as he tries to creep towards the food and make him come with me to find a seat.

'Welcome,' shouts the man with the shell. 'Welcome to the Fifth Ambres cave summer meeting. And welcome to the first meeting of many.'

Everyone cheers so what he says next is lost on the noise but he smiles and holds up his hands until the crowd quiets again.

'Tonight we will have food, we will have singing, we will hear stories and dance until our feet are sore but first it is my honour to welcome the new young women.'

Storm looks up then. He'd been picking his ear while staring at his boots but now wipes his finger on his tunic and grins. 'Bring on the babes,' he says.

'Shut up,' I groan, hoping no one else heard what he said.

It isn't respectful to call the young women babes, he knows that. He knows that it is looked down on.

'Here they come,' the man shouts from the platform.

I turn to see a line of people walking passed the cooking tent and into the clearing. Once they pass the burning torches, it becomes obvious who they are. Only women wear shining stones on their clothes and only at special times.

Like this.

There are about twenty of them. All dressed differently, some wear short tunics and leggings, others wear tunics that reach the ground. Some have fringes on their tunics, others have shells and jewels weaved in their hair. Some tunics are pale and others are bright. One young woman wears a tunic that is red.

'Aren't they pretty?' Storm says next to me.

I nod my head.

'Look, that one.'. Storm points to the first young woman. 'She's wearing a blue necklace. Is that your cousin? It must be.'

I shrug. To be quite honest, none of these girls look anything like the grubby girl we used to play with. But then Lightning had said she'd changed.

'She must be,' I say but then notice the second young woman is also wearing a blue necklace. And so are the others. 'They've all got them,' I say.

The young women walk to a spot in front of the bonfire and one by one, they throw something into it.

I can't see what.

'Girlhood left behind,' the man on the platform. 'As each young woman throws something from their childhood onto the bonfire, a doll, a special blanket from their babyhood, a stick they used to use to fight, they leave behind their childhood and embrace the start of adulthood where they will learn many things, things that will enable them to become true women, capable of running a hearth, keeping a fire burning in it, marrying and having children of their own. They leave behind the silliness of youth and step into the responsibilities of womanhood.'

'I bet your cousin's the one throwing a fighting stick on the bonfire,' Storm whispers to me, rubbing his leg where last year she's hit him as she bested him in a fight. He grins. 'I wouldn't mind getting in a tussle with her now.'

I snort. 'Woman or not, she'd still win.'

'Yeah but I'd get to enjoy her winning.'

I look at him then. 'You'd enjoy? Do you like her?'

'No,' he replies. And then glances at me and blushes.

Well, well. Storm has the hots for my cousin.


	15. Chapter 15

**Keep Away! (Violet)**

Us young women are herded to an area at the other side of the bonfire where we are allowed to talk to our families.

The young men are kept away though.

I'm not really sure what the adults are afraid of. Do they think that we will tell our intendeds what the blue necklaces really mean? Maybe they think that the young men will attack us, driven crazy by their new found adulthood. Just grab a girl, any girl, throws us over their shoulders and run away with us. Or maybe they are still afraid, though we know better now, that them just being close will inpregnate us. Everyone knows that a couple have to, well couple to make babies, but I guess some still think the idea of a young man's spirit would create life if he came to close. I don't know.

But at least it puts off the eventual event when my cousin will be told that I am his intended.

I sigh. I can see if over there. His friends around him. He's always been the ringleader, the one who gets them to do silly things.

And that would be all right. Afterall, he has time to grow up.

But.

Though he's a friend, I have always found him a bit limited.

Boring.

I want to marry a man with more than a bit of vitality in him. Someone who isn't scared to try something new. Who is good and kind but has a spark of adventure within him.

Someone who is a mystery.

My eyes find Tulip's intended. Someone like him.

'My little girl,' a voice says and I turn to see my father.

Grinning at me, his arms stretched out, expecting me to run into them for a hug.

I frown.

'No hug for your father?' he asks.

I shake my head and look down at my bare toes.

I feel him step closer but I don't look up.

He puts his hand under my chin and draws my head up. Searches my face with puzzled eyes.

'Why so glum Violet?' he asks.

'I...'

How can I tell him that I don't want to marry the man he has chosen for me? How can I tell him that he has chosen the wrong one? Should I say norhing? Pretend I am happy? I can't. I just can't.

'Father...' I start to say.

He puts his finger on my lips. 'Hush dearest,' he says. 'Your mother has already told me. I am sorry that you aren't happy. I thought you liked him. I thought my choice would make you happy.'

'I do like him,' I say. 'But...'

'Not enough to marry him?'

I shrug.

'Then you won't,' he declares. 'We will give him the necklace.'

My mother puts her hand on his arm. 'If she does that then she will have to be a girl for another year.'

'Nothing wrong with that,' he says, winking at me. 'You have always been Daddy's little girl, haven't you?'

I have but now?

'I want to grow up father. I want to be a woman. I want to start the womanhood ceremonies tonight, like I have. I don't want to go back to being a girl. Mother says he will change. I'm going to try this Father. She says in a few years' time, he'll be different. I hope she's right.'

'Are you sure?' he asks.

I nod.

He puts his arms around me and hugs me. 'But remember, you can refuse him at any time.' He strokes my hair. 'You are growing up Violet and I must admit that sometimes it makes me sad that you won't be my girl anymore.'

I laugh and kiss him on his weather beaten face. 'I will always be your little girl,' I tell him. 'Even when I'm old and grey, a toothless ugly crone.'

'You will never be ugly,' he says.

I laugh and out of the corner of my eye I see Tulip's intended.

Looking at me.

He smiles when he sees I have seen him.

And that smile fills my heart with joy and wonder.

Until dismal dispair replaces the hope. He will belong to another.


	16. Chapter 16

Wet and Wild (Rocky)

I wake to the pitter patter of rain hitting the outside of the young man's hide tent. Groan and roll out of the way after a big drop of water drops on my forehead.

Pushing back my furs, I check to make sure they're dry and then roll them up and put them out of the way of where rain is coming through a small hole in the tent and pooling on the straw covered ground.

I push Storm with one arm to wake him up.

He groans and then rolls right into the puddle.

Well, that woke him up.

'What?' he shouts, jumping to his feet and pushing his damp fur from him and into the puddle more. 'What...'. He looks up at the hole in the tent and groans. 'No wonder no one tried to fight me for this area. So near to the tent flap, I thought it was an ideal place. Thought we'd be able to be first out each day and first to experience all that the summer meeting has to offer a young man.'

'You were wrong,' I say as I pick up Storm's dripping hide and place it on one of the logs around the fire.

Around the embers of the nearly dead fire.

'I look like I've wet myself,' Storm groans as he looks down at the large wet patch at the front of his hide trousers.

I don't respond. Instead I pick up a stick and jab it into the embers, lifting up the ashes and inburnt wood. I throw some lindling on it and watch how tiny flames lap through it. And the ignites.

Soon I'm standing in front of a roaring fire.

'I'm hungry,' Storm says after he's changed into dry clothes. 'Let's see if there are any leftovers from last night.'

But what we are met with when we pull back the flap of the tent isn't a gentle rain to cool down a hot day. No, it's a grey sky, even greyer clouds, torrential rain and a river of mud.

And people are walking through it. People with their hair plastered to their heads, with wet clothes and mud splattered half way up their legs and streaked on their faces.

'I think the leftovers will have been moved inside somewhere,' Storm says.

I glance at him. Already the front of his hair is wet.

'Shall we go and find it?'

I look back at the sky and then the mud filling the area. And then step out into the rain.

Once, a few years ago, a group of us went exploring and we found a waterfall. Standing under it was a similar experience to being in this rain. It almost feels like if I had some soaproot, that I could have a wash.

Well, it would if it wasn't for the mud.

Storm follows me out into the rain.

And slips. Falls. Slithers through the mud on his back.

I look around and see others who are similarily coated with mud like Storm is now.

Or are worse.

Some look like mud men. Or women. Or children.

And I can see that some are rolling in the mud in pairs.

Wrestling.

In the mud.

Thoughts of eating leave my mind as I decide that they look like they're having fun.

And I want in.


	17. Chapter 17

**It's not fair (Violet)**

It's not fair. There was going to be a hunt today but because of the rain, it's been cancelled.

At least it's been cancelled for us.

The older young women are going, accompanied by their intended but it has been decided that we, the youngest, will have to wait for another day.

For a dryer day.

Because?

Because the women who would have taken us don't want to get wet.

Pathetic.

I flop on a padded cushion and stare dejectedly around the tent.

The other young women don't seem to mind.

In fact, they squealed when they saw the rain and wanted to stay inside.

Even Tulip doesn't want to go outside in the rain and I can remember her revelling in getting wet and muddy when we were younger.

The girl that used to climb trees and pick fights with the boys has changed to be almost unrecognisible. Now she's only interested in looking pretty and in the latest ways to wear a tunic.

Me though. I yearn for freer days. For the wind on my skin. For a spear in my hand. For the joy of the hunt. Having to stay quiet as we creep through the bushes tracking some animal.

This lot around me. They'd probably scare the animals away with their giggling.

'Violet,' someone calls me.

'Coming,' I respond.

Standing up, I straighten out the wrinkles in my tunic and head toward the group of young women.

Young women being instructed in a skill.

Today, instead of going on a hunt, we are learning to attach beads onto clothing.

I hate sewing.


	18. Chapter 18

**Storm (Storm)**

Stormy by name, stormy by nature. That's what people think of me. I've tried to change my ways in the past, but I just can't.

I am the way that I am.

But now, after seeing Rocky's cousin, I really want to change.

I want to be responsible.

I want to be a good man, someone who would make her a good husband.

Yeah, you've heard me right.

I want to be her husband.

And she my wife.

I don't know what Rocky would feel about that. If he would be happy, or annoyed. But I can't help how I feel.

So from today, this soggy and muddy day, I'm going to make the effort to change.

To make myself a man worthy of her.

Except I have no idea how I am going to do that.

Or if I'm even capable.


	19. Chapter 19

**Tulip (Tulip)**

My intended is big and strong. And clever too. He would make anyone a good husband, but he is to be mine. My father says that he picked him out for me a long time ago.

And he picked well.

When my mother told me about the intended. That I wouldn't get to choose my own, I was angry. I was pretty horrible to her as she got me ready for the first ceremony. So much so that another woman came to do my hair, and I was mean to her too.

But when I saw who brought the blue necklace.

Oh, I wasn't angry then. I was happy. Oh so happy.

To think I'm going to be his wife. Something I've dreamt of for a long time. Even when we played together as children, climbed trees, pretended to hunt, wrestled, I would wonder if one day he would be mine.

And now he's going to be.

All the girls are jealous too. Well, I can tell that Violet is anyway. I saw her looking at him with a hungry look.

But she can't have him.

He's mine.

I know she's not happy with who her father has chosen for her. I don't know why. He's always been a nice boy.

Not as strong as my man.

Or as clever.

Or as good looking.

Violet's intended, well, he's okay, but mine, he's amazing.

So different.


	20. Chapter 20

**Days and Nights (Rocky)**

Over the next days and nights, the mud slowly dries and forms a cracked covering over everything.

We have to redig a couple of ground ovens that the mud had poured through.

And strangeness of strangenesses, Storm doesn't complain.

He just works hard.

And when we dig out a ground oven that is used by the young women, he works even harder.

Though every now and then, I see him glance toward their tent.

I asked him why he'd changed but he just shook his head and wouldn't say.

I think I know though.

I think he's decided to change his ways so he will make himself more attractive to the young women.

Well, one young woman anyway.

My cousin.

I know this because he insists on going to all the womanhood ceremonies, watching with a silly smile when he sees my cousin.

I know which one of the young women she is now. I couldn't see faces enough in the dark interior of the tent to work out who was who, and the first ceremony was even darker.

But when we went to the second ceremony, the one that was postponed two days to allow the mud to dry, I recognised her then.

Yes, she's changed but not so much that I can't see the face of the girl in the face of the young woman.

I don't really see what Storm sees in her. She's sort of pretty but there are far nicer ones.

One girl in particular is attractive. I wouldn't mind talking to her. I won't say getting to know her as I've known her since we were little.

Her father often works at the summer meetings with Lightning baking apples.

I suppose the fact that their fathers worked together made it natural that they would become friends.

Best friends.

Though I've sensed some tension between them during this summer meeting. I don't why. You'd think that becoming young women at the same time would make them grow close, but it obviously hasn't.

The times they climbed trees together, with Storm and me, are obviously forgotten.

Anyway today there's an event over by the young women's tent. Not really a ceremony, it is still part of their womanhood trials. Me and Storm are off over there now.


	21. Chapter 21

**The Deer (Violet)**

Yesterday they finally allowed us to go hunting. Heading out in small groups, some young women worked together and brought down a baby aurochs, others wanted to have their own kills and brought back rabbits, birds and other small kills.

I wanted something bigger though, but didn't want to hunt with someone else.

So taking my spear shooter, a weapon brought to my people by a traveller who told us stories about a people far inland that lived with horses and wolves and hunted with spear shooters, I slipped away from the others and head into the trees.

And almost immediately found impressions in the ground that could only be made by one animal.

A deer.

So I followed them, eventually cornered it at a cliff face.

And using my spear shooter, shot it, my thin spear going right through its heart.

And then I walked closer, shot another spear into its trembling side.

Until it was still.

And then I picked it up, noticing that its leg was hurt, and took it back to the summer meeting.

I enjoyed the looks I got when I arrived back.

The adults who nodded their heads with respect at my kill.

The children who stared open mouthed.

The young men who nudged each other and watched my every step.

But best of all was the reaction of the other young women.

They were jealous.

No one else had managed to bring down such a large animal on their own.

I could almost see them cringing as they thought about their kills.

Some of the young women got nasty though.

'She didn't kill that deer,' one said.

'I bet she found it already dead,' another said.

And a third young woman? 'Or someone killed it for her. Oooh, was it one of the young men? Have you been fraternising with the young men Violet? You are going to be in so much trouble.'

I snorted and shook my head, ignored them and entered the tent of the young women.

Where someone immediately ran into me, making the deer fly from my shoulders.

'What?' I looked around, shocked and confused about what is happening.

'You're a thief,' Tulip shouted at me, pushing me backward.

'No I'm not,' I defended myself. 'Why would you say I'm a thief?'

'You stole my kill.'

'Your kill?' I glanced at the deer lying on the ground. 'How was it your deer?'

'I saw it first.'

'Maybe so, but I killed it.'

'Yeah, after I did all the hard work.'

'What?'

'You tracked it hey?'

'Yes I did.'

'And did you never wonder how it was so easy to catch up with it?'

'I…' I frowned. 'I trapped it by a cliff.

She laughed. 'A cliff? You trapped a deer by a cliff? Why didn't it just climb up it?'

'I…' Thinking about it, why didn't it just climb up? There was a way. A human would have struggled to get up it, but a deer is agile. Unless…

She nodded. 'Yeah, it didn't climb up because it was injured.

I remembered then that its leg was hurt.

'Its leg,' I gasped.

'Yeah, its leg. I found it, injured it but it managed to run with its hurt leg. It disappeared through the trees, and when I went to follow it, that's when I saw you.'

'Why didn't you tell me it was yours? I would have looked somewhere else.'

She snorted. 'Yeah right. Violet, look elsewhere. I don't think so. Anyway, I did follow it, or at least I thought I did but I followed the wrong tracks. Ones that it had already made.'

'Well that's not my fault.'

'Maybe not, but it's still mine. I hurt it first.'

'And I killed it.'

She crossed her arms in front of her. 'It's mine.'

'No, it is not.'

'I made first cut.'

'And I made the last and most important.'

She pushed me again then, and tried to grab my hair. 'Give me my deer.'

'No,' I shouted. 'It is my deer, my kill.'

'No it isn't,' she tried to scratch my face with her fingernails.

'Girls, girls,' a woman said. 'Young women, what is going on?'

I looked at the older woman running toward us.

'She stole my kill,' Tulip said.

'No I didn't. She hurt it, but then lost it. I killed it.'

'Only because you were lucky to find an animal who was already injured,' she said. 'Injured by me. The deer is mine.'

'No, it is not.'

Tulip kicked a leg out at me. I stepped back out of her way, but that allowed her to scoot forward and grab the deer.

'Leave it alone,' I said, grabbing one of its legs.

'Never,' she responded, and tried to yank it away from me. 'The deer's mine.'

'No it isn't,' I insist. 'I killed it.'

'That is enough,' the woman said. She stepped closer to us. 'Put the deer down.'

'But it's mine,' Tulip said.

'No it is not.'

'Put the deer down,' the woman repeated.

That was when I let go of the deer's leg, but Tulip didn't. With one more yank, and me letting go, she ended up on her bottom on the ground with the still bleeding deer in her lap.

She pushed it off and jumped up.

Her tunic was covered in blood.

And her face, reddened with anger, shock and exercise, was a pretty similar colour.

'The deer is mine,' she hissed.

'Come along with me,' the woman said, grabbing her arm. She looked at me. 'You too.'

'What about the deer?' Tulip said.

'The deer will be fine.'

'But…'

'Just come on.' The woman dragged her out of the tent, and I follow them. We headed toward the centre of the summer meeting, to just pass the clearing.

To the leaders' tent.

She pushed us in.

Told them the problem, and they gave a solution.

Tulip was to have half of the deer and as she was first to hurt it, she would be allowed to choose what she wanted.

I wasn't happy, especially when she said what parts she wanted, and what she was going to leave me with, but I wasn't about to argue against the leaders.

She was smug when she left the leaders' tent. Strode off toward the young women's tent with the woman, and me trailing behind.

But then she stopped and stared at me.

'What?' I asked. 'What now?'

'You took my kill.'

I sighed. 'Whatever Tulip,' I responded. 'I'm not interested. You've managed to get half of my kill, just shut up now.'

She pulled her mouth into a vicious smile. 'You stole my kill, but you won't steal my intended. I've seen the way you look at him. Well he's mine, and you can keep your dirty eyes away from him.'

'I…'

I didn't really know how to respond to that. I had been looking at her intended.

'Just keep away from him,' she said.

So now it's the next day, and she has half of the deer.

And I have half too.

And the competition is on.

Yesterday we hunted, today we cook.

We cook for the leaders.

Who will choose a dish they like the best.

And award the cook, the young woman who made it, a prize.

She will be made the Queen of the summer meeting, given her very own tent, and at the end ceremony, she will be given much that she'll need for her married life.

And her intended will lead the very last hunt of the summer meeting.


	22. Chapter 22

The Competition (Violet)

'I can't believe they gave her the best of that deer,' I mutter under my breath as I cut up the meat from the neck and shoulders of the deer. 'I suppose that's what comes of being the daughter of a leader.'

She's been given all four legs, and the back of the deer, leaving me its neck, its ribs and stomach and flank.

The hide of the deer, like the hides of all the other animals killed, has been given to the leaders, who will cure them, and present them to the winner.

I really want that hide.

I gave the flank to one of the other young women who'd come back into the camp long after the rest of us, limping, scratched, a big bump on her head, and a cut under her eye. She didn't have a kill, and was hysterical about it.

I don't blame her really.

She'd had a horrible time. She'd been tracking an animal, I don't know what, when she came across a wolf.

I didn't know there were any so near.

She managed to get away from it but feel down a small rock, knocked herself out for a while.

Some of the older men have gone out to see if the wolf was a lone one and therefore more dangerous or part of a pack, and how close they are to us.

And the women with children, they're keeping them close.

But today is the competition, and I have the meat from the neck and shoulders of a deer, its stomach and its ribs.

I have to make the best dishes out of that, whereas Tulip is already roasting the legs over a fire, sitting back and watching them with a smug look on her face. Every so often she bastes them with some secret ingredient that her mother taught her to make.

But back to me.

I also have the blood from the deer which I mix with barley and wheat and oats in a cooking pot, adding onions, wild garlic, fat and dried hyssop until it's thick and congealing. Then I put it in the cleaned out stomach of the deer, wrap it in plantain leaves and put it in my ground oven, a pit, lined with rocks, with a fire that I've allowed to burn until it only smoulders. I cover the stomach with more leaves and then soil, and build another fire on top, placing flat stones over it.

Next, I cut the meat from the neck of the deer as small as I can get it. It takes a long time, but then I mix it with wild onions and garlic in a cooking pot, made out of clay. I put it on some stones over my fire, and stir it with a special stick used just for cooking.

It sizzles.

I keep stirring as the meat browns and the onions and garlic turn almost see through, and then add wild mushrooms, and carrots, some fresh thyme, some thin strips of meat from a wild pig, some wheat that's been pounded so it resembles dust and then finally cover the meat mixture with wine. And then stir it.

But I'm still not finished.

I fill another cooking pot with water and put it on the stones, next to the first cooking pot. Then I add chunky cuts of the deer's shoulders, barley, wild onions, garlic, chopped up wild carrots and cattail. I then add dried marjoram and ground cumin seeds to make the food spicy.

I stir it and then stir the first food cooking in the first pot.

I only have the ribs left, and really I'm not certain what to do with them. My people usually use them to make soup but I don't want to do that.

So what do I do?

I glance at where Tulip is smugly watching the rest of us.

The deer's legs are roasting nearby.

Which every so often she bastes with her special sauce.

And that's when I get the idea.

What if I just cook the ribs? Make a sauce to baste over them, but roast them?

I smile and get to work.

I use some branches to make a platform over the fire, moving the two pots slightly so I can still get to, and stir, their contents, and then place plantain leaves over it. I then put the ribs on top.

Then I mix some fat with dried parsley, rosemary sage and thyme, which I baste over the ribs.

So that's it, four different ways of cooking deer meat, I hope the leaders like my cooking and I win.

Or at least I hope that Tulip doesn't win.


	23. Chapter 23

**And the winner is… (Rocky)**

Storm and I wait, our stomachs rumbling as the young women serve up their dishes.

The air is filled with the aroma of delicious food, stews, roasts, soups as well as baked apples, supplied by Lightning and his partner, and other sweet things made by the older young women. Someone has made grain cakes, in a variety of flavours, spicy ones, berry, ones with meat.

And there's Boozing and wine, as well as juice.

The platforms set up are straining with food.

But first we have to wait while the leaders fill their own plates.

And then while they're eating and discussing each dish, we rush the platforms, along with the rest of our people and devour the food.

I'm hungry.

I cut off a large chunk of roasted leg of something, it's covered in some sort of sticky sauce that's filled with flavours that burst in the mouth, sweet but sharp and spicy.

It tastes so amazing that I'm tempted to eat more.

But I don't.

The next dish is fried fish, crispy outside and tender inside, it's been expertly boned, I don't find a single one.

'Try this,' Storm says, pointing at slices of something dark red.

I put a slice on my plate, cut it with my knife.

Taste it.

'It's blood pudding,' I say, enjoying the soft texture in my mouth. 'It's spicy.' I turn to look at Storm, but he's already eating something else.

Some sort of stew.

The meat within it is finely cut, but it also has strips of another meat as well as mushrooms and carrots.

'I think this has got wine in,' Storm says, putting more on his plate. 'If I eat loads of this, will it make me drunk?'

'I doubt it.'

'Oh,' he shovels one more mouthful in his mouth and then moves onto the next dish. 'My father has banned me from drinking Boozing or wine, and has told those that make it to not let me have any, but I like the feeling of being drunk. I just though, as it has wine in it…'

'I think the inebriating effect is burned off during cooking.'

'Oh.' He stops in front of a platter of sliced roasted meats, that's obviously been recooked with red berries.

He cuts a bit off, and nibbles a bit. And then shakes his head. 'I don't like that,' he says.

I cut a bit off myself and put it in my mouth. The taste isn't unpleasant but no, I agree. I don't really like it either.

We move on.

Next is another stew, filled with large chunks of pale white meat as well as small whole onions and sliced wild carrots.

It's nice.

We try a little of everything, but just as I'm thinking I can't eat anymore, one last dish is brought to the platform.

I have never seen anything like it before. It's in a sort of round platter but it's not a plate, it's more like a very shallow cooking pot, a bowl.

And it's filled with some sort of yellowy brown substance.

I watch as a large chunk of it is cut out, and taken to the leaders for them to share.

And notice that under the yellowy brown stuff, there's what looks like a thick stew. I cut a sliver, the top yellowy brown layer is crispy and breaks under my knife.

And it is divine.

'What is this?' I ask another man.

He shrugs.

'I think the young lady who made it called it a pie,' a woman says. 'And the topping is a mixture of pounded wheat mixed with fat with a little salt, she called it pastry.'

The pie has two layers of pastry, one at the top which is crispy, and the other at the bottom that's soaked up the juices of the meat and is a bit soggy, nicely so though.

And inside along with finely cut tender meat are wrinkles black fruit and some sort of sweet spices.'

'It's amazing,' I say, cutting another slice.

The man who took some to the leader comes back and cuts some for himself. He looks at me. 'Are you enjoying the mince meat pie?' he asks.

I nod. 'I have never tasted anything like it before,' I say.

'Sfyyy be frefy silke ilt,' Storm says, mumbling around a mouthful of pie.

'I think he likes it too,' I say to the man.

'Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, young men and most importantly young women,' says the leader of the cave that's holding this year's summer meeting. He's standing on the leaders' platform and shouting out to us. 'We have eaten the food of the young women, filled our stomachs with their goodness, and have discussed which dish we like the best. And I must admit, we've struggled to decide.'

'There's nothing to decide,' Lightning shouts from behind him. 'My daughter should win. Her dishes were spectacular.'

The leader turns around and looks at Lightning. 'Yes, I agree, her dishes were lovely but so were many of the others.'

'But her food was the best.'

'Maybe, and maybe not.' He looks back at us, at the crowd. 'Usually the leaders would eat and discuss and choose a winner. Often that winner would be obvious, but this year we've had some outstanding contributions, from the honey roasted legs of deer, to the herbs racks of ribs, from the stews to the fried fish, from the roasted ptarmigans stuffed with their own eggs and herbs and grain to the tender rabbit stews. And then we have the blood pudding and the mince meat pie to consider.'

'My daughters…'

I grin as the leader glares at Lightning.

Lightning blushes and slumps on his seat.

'We have decided that we can't possibly choose so we're going to ask you to do that for us. In a moment, each dish will be held up, or the empty pot in many cases, and those that liked the dish will raise their arms to vote for it. That way, we'll find the winner.'

'But…'

The leader glances around once again at Lightning. 'Please, can we just get on with this?'

He nods.

The man who took the pie to the leaders comes to the platform and picks up a dish.

The dish that holds the remains of the pie.

'Hands up for this one,' he says.

I raise my hand into the air. I have to vote for it. It is definitely the best and most unusual dish on offer today.

The man counts the hands, and someone does a tally on the ground near the leaders' platform.

And then the man puts the dish down and picks up another.

This is the way it goes, sometimes I vote that I liked a dish, sometimes I decide that though I liked the dish, I didn't like it enough to vote for it, and at other times, there is no way I would vote for a dish.

One by one, the man picks up the dishes and we vote.

And the tally is done for all of them.

And then the time comes to announce the dish that's won.

And the dish is…

'The mince meat pie,' the leader says. 'Which Tulip made.'


	24. Chapter 24

What? No! (Violet)

I stare at the leader standing on the platform who's just announced that Tulip has won.

I don't understand.

She just sat there, only standing occasionally to baste the roasting deer legs.

She couldn't have made another dish.

Could she?

I mean, I wasn't watching her, I had other things to do but surely I would have noticed if she was making something else as well.

But the crowd are cheering her.

Surely they wouldn't be doing that if they'd not seen her making her pie.

I suppose she won fair and square.

Her pie was better than everyone else's food.

I tasted it, I wouldn't have if I'd known it was her that had made it.

I would have been worried she'd spat on it.

Or done something similarily disgusting.

But I don't think it's the pie that's making me feel sick, it's the realisation that she won.

With my deer.

I watch as she climbed on the platform and is hugged by her smug looking father.

He then draps a hide over her, resting the hollowed out head of a deer on her head and pulling the hide over her shoulders.

My deer.

They've given the hide of the deer I killed to Tulip.

I turn away, feeling hot tears prickling on my eyes.

And I start to walk away from the clearing, heading back to the young women's tent.

Passing the young man I like, Tulip's intended.

Who voted for her pie.

'Tomorrow the last ceremonies of the summer meeting will be held,' I hear the leader say behind me. 'The first one will just include the new young women and men, accompanied by their parents. We have our main young women of this summer meetings in Tulip, our main young man will be announced at the first ceremony and then announced again at the last, and for everyone, ceremony. And as you all know, the main young man will lead the big hunt.'


	25. Chapter 25

**Hahahaha (Tulip)**

You know, I could almost feel sorry for Violet if I didn't hate her.

The look on her face when she realised the pie had won was almost magical.

And when she turned away, walking pass my intended who'd voted for me, well the pie anyway, her shoulders had slumped and she looked so dejected.

It's funny that even her intended voted against her.

Serves her right though. If she wasn't such a goody two boots, fat wouldn't melt in her mouth, then I wouldn't hate her.

We would still be friends.

But I got sick of everyone comparing her to me and finding me lacking. I couldn't stand it anymore.

You see my father is the leader of my cave and her father is the leader of hers.

And they are only a short distance from each other.

It is possible, unless the weather is bad, to walk from my cave to hers, and vice versa.

So everyone in my cave knows her.

And loves her.

And would go on about how pretty she is.

And how clever.

How good she is at hunting.

In fact, she seems to be good at everything she tries whereas I am only good at one thing, sewing.

Which she hates.

But her stitches are still neater than mine. Her beadwork more even and ordered.

You'd think the sun shined out of her bottom the way they talk about her.

So it is good that she has been beaten in something.

By me.

And what is the best thing, the very best thing, is she was cheated out of winning.

I took the prize and I cheated.

I mean, I did roast the deer's legs but my mother helped me prepared them and made the marinade I basted them with.

And the pie?

I mixed together ground wheat and fat and the put half the lumpy mixture in a shallow cooking pot.

I cooked the meat, though it wasn't deer.

I added water and dried grapes. Honey and some other ingredients.

And poured it into the shallow cooking pot.

It didn't have stink.

And then I put more ground wheat and fat mixture over the top. Smoothing it over.

They all saw me do it, well apart from Violet who was too busy making her own muck.

Anyway, I put it in a special oven. You've heard of ground ovens, well this is a clay oven. It is put over a fire and things can be put on a shelf in it to cook.

But when it was time to eat, I told them it wasn't quite ready and while everyone was busy stuffing their faces and talking about the food, my mother removed it and brought one out she'd made herself and put that in.

Ready for me to get out.

Which I did. And I gave it to a man to take it to the table.

With no one the wiser that I'd cheated.

Apart from me.

Of course.

And my mother.

Obviously.

And my father too.

Though he wasn't happy about it.

Not at all.

He told me I wasn't to cheat.

That I had to play fair.

But then I reminded him that Violet had killed a deer on her own.

A girl who could do that wouldn't be happy to take a step back. If she won the cooking competition, she wouldn't be happy about her intended leading the big hunt.

She'd want to lead it herself.

Which is something that my father and most of the other leaders wouldn't allow to happen.

What is a man if he isn't a provider?

He can't give birth.

He can't suckle a baby.

Our people have no problem about women hunting and they have always been a part of the main hunt.

But to lead the main hunt? It is the last thing that only men are allowed to do and something that they do not want to give up.

Violet couldn't be allowed to lead the main hunt.

Or even suggest that she should.

And to make sure she never got the chance to challenge the tradition, she had to lose.

And given the way she always excells at everything, someone had to cheat her off it.

Me.

So my father wasn't happy but he agreed to the plan and backed it up by arguing that what I had made was the best.

Which it was. My deer legs were amazing.

But the pie my mother made?

Was outstanding.

And more importantly, something that no one outside our hearth has ever seen or tasted.

In fact, I've only had it once. When she'd tried to make grain cakes but it had gone wrong and turned into what she called pastry that she filled with meat and fruit, honey and spices.

So I cheated.

I did it because I wanted to win and wanted Violet to finally lose and know how I felt.

And my mother helped me because she wanted me to be the best.

And my father allowed it to happen so things wouldn't change.

But.

I must admit.

I do feel a bit guilty.

When I hear Violet crying.


	26. Chapter 26

**The Pairing Off (Rocky)**

'Come on Storm,' I urge, trying to hurry him up. 'We have to get to the meeting.'

'But I want to sleep,' he groans. 'Let me sleep.' He drags his furs over himself and tries to roll over onto his stomach.

I grab the fur and yank it off him.

He sits up, his eyes wide. 'What?' he says, looking around, as if he's expecting to see a cave lion about to maul him.

'Get ready, we've got the meeting to go to.'

He groans again, and holds his head in his hands.

'There will be young women there,' I tease.

He looks at me. 'Your cousin?'

I nod my head. 'Just get dressed. I'll get you a cup of tea and a grain cake to eat on the way.'

I don't wait for him to answer me, just leave the tent and head to the nearest fire, spooning tea into his cup. I grab a berry grain cake.

When I look around, he's stumbling out of the young man's tent, his hair a mess and pulling his boots on.

His tunic is on back to front.

I shake my head, but from the area of the sky the sun's in, I know we haven't got time for him to sort himself out.

We have to go.

I pass him his tea and the grain cake once he's got his boots on, and then we start walking. 'What do you think is going to happen today?' he asks, climbing his fingers, and crumbs from his grain cake through his blond hair.

I shrug. 'I don't know.'

He's just finished his tea as we reach the tent that the private ceremony is to be held in. He ties his cup to the side of his leggings, and quickly turns his tunic around before we enter it.

My parents are already here, as our Storm's, standing together, and chatting.

I go over to them, hug them.

And then the leader of the cave running this summer meeting clears his throat and asks us to sit down.

Parents with parents. Young men with young men and young women with young women.

'You have taken the first steps in adulthood over the summer,' he says, looking first at the young women and then at us. 'Today, is the last part of the beginning of that time. This ceremony will bring together the starts of your adult life as you are paired.'

I blink. What does that mean? I glance at Storm, who just shrugs.

'The young women have already been told about all these things, but long ago, it was decided that young men are immature and need to be led to do what is right, not given the time to consider things. Therefore the young women know who they have been paired with but the young men know nothing.'

There's that word again. Paired. What does he mean by paired?

I almost shout out my question, but even though I don't, he answers it anyway.

'When I say paired, I mean one young woman and one young man. Your parents have chosen who you will marry.'

'What?' Some of the young men jump up. 'But I thought…'

'Sit down,' the man says. 'I know this is a strange situation, believe me, I do. I have been through it myself, but know that your parents have chosen those who they think will be the best partners in marriage for you.'

I glance over at my mother and father.

'Each young man was given a necklace to take to a young woman.'

'Oh no.' I find my cousin in the crowd of young women. She looks at me too.

'The necklace identifies the intended. But in case you are unsure, I will read out the names of those young men and young women who will marry.'

'I was never given a blue necklace to give to a young woman,' Storm murmurs next to me.

I ignore him.

'Young men, when I call your name, I want you to leave where you are sat and come over to me. I will then call the name of your intended.'

I can't breathe, I feel like all the air has disappeared in the tent. My head is hurting and my heart is beating like a drum in my chest.

I feel sick.

'Grass,' the man says, and I watch as a young man, visibly trembling, stands up and walks over to the man. 'And Poppy.'

'Cloud, and Daisy.'

'Bean, and Ginger.'

Name after name he calls, and soon, Storm and I and one other young man are all that are left. Along with my cousin and the pretty girl.

'I am sorry Storm, but you were not chosen this year,' the man says. 'But that's not a bad thing, sometimes there are just not enough young women or young men for everyone to be paired off. The same thing happened to Thunder, the leader of your own people and look how well he married in the end.'

Storm nods. 'I didn't want to get married anyway. Well unless it was to…' He frowns.

He looks upset, but I know he's going to be even more so when he finds out that I'm to marry the girl he likes.

And that's when it hits me. I'm to marry. I'm to marry my cousin. I don't want to marry. I don't want to marry her. I'm not even certain I even like her.

But I can see that from the expectation, from the happiness coming from my parents, that I do not have any choice.

I sigh deeply.

'Two young women, and two young men left,' the man says. 'If you will both come down.'

I stand and head toward him.

'Rain and Rocky' he nods to the young man and then to me. 'Tulip and Violet.'

I try to smile but really, I feel like crying.

'I don't need to say the young women's names do I?'

I shake my head, and walk over to stand next to my cousin.

My cousin and my intended. My wife to be. Tulip.


	27. Chapter 27

**Feeling like I've been kicked in the guts (Storm)**

I blink.

What's happening?

I glance at the girl of my dreams.

Standing next to my best friend.

The young man who I thought would always have my back.

And he's going to marry the young woman I love.

My Tulip.

Will be his.

I feel like I've been kicked in the guts.

It's bad enough that I wasn't chosen, wasn't considered good enough by the young womens' fathers but that one of them, Lightning, chose my friend to marry the one young woman I was interested in?

No.

It can't be.

It can't happen.

How has this happened?

How could she be marrying him?

I see them standing next to each other. She reaches out a small hand and grabs his. Holds his.

They are holding hands.

And are going to be husband and wife.

I am never going to be with the one who I love.

After all I've done to change my ways, to make myself worthy of her.

It was all for nothing.

All in vain.

I almost feel like laughing.

But not a laugh of joy, no of pain, and hurt, of bitterness and jealousy.

My best friend and the young woman I love.

No.

Why?

Why him?

Why not me?

Though I know the answer.

I have been immature. I know that.

But even if a father had looked passed that, they still would have chosen him.

The tall young man. The strong young man. The man who has the backing of the leader. Who shares a hearth with a leader.

Of course he'd win. He always does.

And he has won the acceptance of Lightning.

Her father.

And the hand in marriage of Tulip.

It's not fair.

I stare at them. She stands on tiptoe and kisses him on the cheek. He looks down at her and smiles.

I feel like a spirit, bereft of all life, watching the living go about their life, whilst they are nothing.

I feel empty inside.

I feel like I am nothing.

I am not worthy of her.

I am not worthy of anyone.

But…

I feel something within me. Welling up, through the emptiness, pass the pain, and sorrow, and the jealousy and bitterness.

I feel anger.

At Lightning.

At my people.

At the happy couples talking excitedly about their new lives.

And most of all, I feel anger at him.

At my friend.

At my best friend.

My former best friend.

I feel anger at Rocky.

And it is joined with hate.


	28. Chapter 28

**It's you. It's always been you (Tulip)**

I stand on my tiptoes, and kiss Rocky on the cheek.

Ignore the way he shudders.

And tries to step away.

But I have his hand in mine. He's going no where.

I smile up at him, giving him my most dazzling smile.

He looks dazzled.

I can work with dazzled.

'I am so happy you are going to be my husband,' I whisper to him. 'I've always liked you.'

He looks shocked. 'You have?'

I nod my head.

'But what about?'

He glances toward his friend.

Storm.

Who is standing off to one side of the tent.

Looking weird.

He must be upset that he's not got an intended.

I look back at Rocky, squeeze his hand. 'It's you,' I say to him. 'It's always been you. I've always hoped that one day you'd be my husband. And now it's going to happen.'

I laugh.

'Are you happy?'

He doesn't answer.

I'm not too happy that he doesn't answer.

I pinch his arm with my other hand. 'You're happy aren't you? You feel the same way about me as I feel about you?'

'I…'

'So now you are paired,' the man that paired us, sort of, says. 'You have now completed your first year of adulthood and taken the first step of your married life. You now know the secret of our people, that parents choose the partners of their children. But remember, it is a secret. Not obviously to those that have gone before you. But the children do not know. And you must not tell them. Let them believe that you have naturally paired up. And do not discuss the secret. Not with each other, or other young men and young women. Or with the older people.'

'Why?' Rocky asks.

'Because it is a secret. We don't want young men or young women running away, going on journeys to escape the inevitable. They must marry. They will marry. But for now, let them keep their childhoods wrapped around them. Do not worry them with thoughts that only adults need think about.'

I see Rocky nod his head, though he doesn't look exactly happy.

'Now, there is one more thing to announce and then you can go and tell the wider community of our people your good news. Tomorrow is the main hunt, now as you know, one young man is chosen to lead the hunt.'

I squeeze Rocky's hand gently.

'That young man is always the intended of the young woman who won the cooking competition. Therefore, this year, it is Rocky.'

I see Rocky blink.

'Congratulations Rocky,' I say, standing on my tiptoes and kissing his lips. 'You get to lead the main hunt.'

He wipes his lips with the back of his hand.

I don't like that.

And then his eyes widen. 'Me?' he asks. 'I'm going to lead the hunt?'

I nod my head. 'You are. Because of me.'

He looks at me. 'You?'

'I won the cooking competition which means I won you the right to lead the main hunt.' I look at my perfect nails, blow on them, and smile. 'Are you happy now?'

'I…'

I put my hands on my hips. 'Well?'

'I get to lead the hunt,' he says.

And then smiles.

And kisses me.

On the cheek.

And then runs off toward Storm.

Who looks even more unhappier. In fact, he looks mad.

I wonder why?


	29. Chapter 29

**No Rain… (Violet)**

Rain looks down at his trembling hands.

I reach out to take one, to still it, but he snatches it away from me.

Looks at me with tear filled eyes.

'I can't,' he says.

'Can't what?' I ask gently.

'I can't marry you.'

'Oh.'

'I'm sorry.'

I felt the same,' I tell him. 'But Mother says we will learn to love each other. It will be all right.' I stroke his arm. 'We have a head start, we like each other. Don't we?'

He sighs. 'Of course I like you. You're my cousin, but I just can't marry you. I can't.'

'All right.' I look at my feet.

He touches my cheek, wipes the single tear that's falling down it.

'Don't cry Violet, I don't think I can cope if you cry.'

'I'm sorry.'

'No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't love you, not like that. Not as a wife deserves to be loved. But I just can't.'

I nod my head.

'And don't think it is anything to do with you. You're an amazing girl, a true friend and I am honoured to have you in my life.'

'Why then?'

He sighs.

'I just can't. I…' he shivers and then takes a deep breath. 'I don't like you like that. I don't like any young woman like that.'

I frown. 'I don't understand,' I say.

'I'm gay. I like men.'

'Oh.' I stare into his blue eyes. 'Oh, I understand.' I touch his hand. 'And it is all right.'

He smiles, hugs me and then goes to tell the leaders that we won't be getting married after all.

So after all that's happened, I am alone.

I glance over to where Tulip is pushing herself up against Rocky.

Who looks embarrassed.

I wish I was marrying him.

But I'm not.

I have no one.

I have no intended.

And with Storm the only available male, I'm not going to have one any time soon.

I hope.

I slip out of the tent before the leaders can decide to change that.


	30. Chapter 30

**No choice, I'm trapped (Rocky)**

I watch the girl called Violet leave, want to follow her but I can't.

I do try.

But the leaders step in front of me.

'Stay,' they say.

'What? Why can't I leave?'

'You're the main young man because of your beautiful intended main young woman. You both need to be prepared for the last celebration.'

'We get to wear lovely clothes,' Tulip says. 'With polished stones.'

'Oh.'

She pushes a strand of hair behind her ear and smiles. 'I bet I'll look really good in them, don't you?'

'I suppose.' I look toward where my adopted parents are standing with Tulip's parents.

'You suppose?'

I glance at her.

Her mouth is twisted into a snarl and her eyes are glaring ar me. 'What do you mean, you suppose?' She puts her hands in her hips.

'I...' I look panic stricken at her angry face. 'Um, that is, I mean...'

'Just tell her she's the most beautiful woman in the world,' the leader laughs.

But how can I tell her that?

She's not beautiful.

Not to me.

In fact, there is something I can see within her that's ugly.

'I...'

'Here they are. The young couple,' I hear a voice, a familiar voice, a voice that can only belong to my adopted father.

'We're so excited,' Mother says. 'My boy has his intended.'

'And will be leading the hunt tomorrow,' Tulip's father, Lightning says.

'Yes,' Thunder says. He smiles at me. 'Are you excited?'

Lead the hunt? I'm so shocked about Tulip that I haven't thought about the hunt.

But now I do.

I'm going to lead the hunt.

A feeling of excitement starts in my chest, radiating out until I'm almost shaking.

Wow.

I'm going to lead the hunt.

I smile.

And those around me smile back.

I might be trapped, at the moment into a relationship with Tulip, but I don't mind that entrapment if it means I'm to lead the hunt.

Tulip can be my intended.

Until after the hunt.


	31. Chapter 31

**Standing at the back (Violet)**

I'm standing at the back of the clearing, behind all the people who are waiting to hear who has been chosen to lead this year's hunt.

Of course, I already know.

It's Rocky.

But they don't know that.

Yet.

The crowd in front of me are happy, munching honeyed baked apples, swigging back Boozing and wine. Chatting, laughing, straining to stand on tiptoes to get the first look of who the lucky young man is.

And their happiness is in opposite to my mood.

I feel desolation.

Desolation that I am not to be one of the young women after all this year. I have waited so long.

Though I don't blame Rain, I understand how he feels, and I love him too, just not as a husband.

In a way, when he refused me, it was almost a relief.

An embarrassing relief though.

But the desolation I feel is not from Rain's refusal, but from the fact that Tulip has taken everything I wanted.

I wanted to be the main young woman.

I wanted to receive the rewards.

Though, I'm trying to bite back my jealousy and disappointment.

Though I'm not happy that she's got my deer skin.

But most of all, and most troubling to me, and a constant sore in my side, is I had liked Rocky for some time.

I don't think he knew.

I'm not sure he even noticed me.

Not much anyway.

But I had entertained girlish thoughts of one day marrying.

Of being his bride.

Of his carrying me over the threshold of our very own hearth.

And having his children.

Making his dinner.

Caring for him.

Growing old with him.

I sigh. So many dreams, and while I was having them, Tulip was obviously having her own.

And she won.

But blaming my dear father is no good, yes, he could have chosen Rocky, but he didn't.

I love my father.

I will always love him.

But I think I love Rocky too.

I hear the crowd gasp, and look toward the platform, onto which Tulip is climbing.

Wearing a garish long tunic of bright red hide.

It's covered in some sort of sparkling green stones that clash with the red and make her look like some sort of demented spirit.

Her hair being dyed once again grass green doesn't not help the garishness at all.

She's got a big grin on her face, but frowns when she trips over the front of her tunic and sprawls on the platform, falling flat on her face.

I have to smile at that.

Around me I hear the crowd laughing.

A natural response when someone does something foolish, but she glares at them.

I think if it was possible, if looks could kill, that half the crowd would be dead now.

And then Rocky appears.


	32. Chapter 32

**There he is (Storm)**

There he is.

My best friend.

Well, he was my best friend.

But now?

I don't know.

I really don't.

He's never shown any interest in his cousin, and now he's going to marry her.

When he knows how I feel about her.

I feel really angry at him.

I feel I should hate him.

But deep down, I don't know. He was my friend. No, he is my friend. A friend who's been given no choice.

No choice.

He's never shown any interest in her.

He's never shown any interest in her, because he's not interested in her.

In fact, I saw him looking at that other girl, the one known as Violet.

I think he likes her.

Not Tulip.

So why is he marrying his cousin and not Violet?

My eyes widen as the truth hits me.

He doesn't want to marry Tulip.

But he doesn't have a choice.

He's trapped.

By a blue necklace and adults who think they know better than us.

Just because they are old and we are young.

He doesn't want to marry her but he is going to have to.

Going to have to marry the young woman I want to marry.

And that's when the anger hits me again, but this time it's not directed at my friend. It's directed at the leaders, at the adults, at those that think they have the right to rule our lives.

Who think it is all right to say who should marry who.

Who think it is okay to leave one of us out.

Leave me without an intended.

They think it is okay to not give me an intended. To make me stay a boy for another year.

While all the other young men move on.

Including Rocky.

And there he is, standing on the platform next to Tulip. He's wearing a deep tan short tunic with tan leggings and carrying a spear in his hand.

And the crowd is cheering for him.

For them.

'Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls,' a leader shouts. 'Maybe I present this year's leader of the hunt.'

He's got a big smile on his face.

So.

If my friend is trapped, if he doesn't want to marry his cousin, if he is being made to do something he doesn't want to do, then why does he look so happy?

Because he gets to lead the hunt?

Because he's sold out?

Has he sold out?

Is he going to marry the young woman he knows I like, and who he doesn't like just so he can lead the hunt?

Is he that shallow?

I shake my head, and turn and walk away


	33. Chapter 33

**A Hunting We Will Go (Rocky)**

I crouch as low to the ground as I can as I edge forward through the long grass of the grasslands.

I keep my spear close to my thigh so it doesn't scratch the soil, or move the grass.

It's heavy in my hand.

Heavy but sure.

A weapon of might.

Of weapon of a great hunter.

A great man.

And it's mine.

All around me, the grass waves as the wind blows toward me.

And away from the animals I'm stalking.

They don't know I'm here.

They have no idea what is going to happen.

They are defenceless.

I shall kill them.

The sun is bright in the sky, and I have to squeeze my eyes nearly shut to stop it blinding me.

I need to be able to see.

If I am to hunt.

To kill.

I look over to where another man is crouching.

At least to where he should be crouching.

But he's not there

And the grass where he should have been is uncrushed as if he'd never been there.

I look around for the others.

But there is no one.

But the grass is long and thick. Maybe I just can't see them through it.

They are there, crouching in the grass, their own spears by their thighs, waiting for me to tell them to go.

Aren't they?

But I'm the leader of the hunt, if I can't see them, then they can't see me, and if they can't see me, how are they going to see my command to go?

It doesn't make sense.

'Psss,' I hiss, quietly.

No response.

I crawl forward a bit, hoping to find them.

I don't.

'Where is everyone?' I whisper to myself.

Only the wind answers me.

What am I going to do?

I don't know what to do.

I feel useless.

Alone.

Defenceless.

I grip my spear in my hand.

The shaft breaks, and the flint point falls onto the ground.

By my feet.

I stare at it for a moment.

And then at my feet.

My toes.

Where are my boots?

I shiver.

Feeling suddenly cold.

The wind whips around my bottom.

That has no leggings covering it.

In fact, I seem to be naked.

Why am I naked?

And why does the grass seem shorter now.

It is shorter, and I can see shapes up ahead.

The animals?

Forgetting my state of undress, I crawl through flattened grass to have a closer look.

Lions.

Cave lions.

And then I hear a voice.

'Here is the leader of the hunt great cave lion,' it says. 'Our sacrifice to you.'

'What?'

I jump up, and try to run, but the cave lions are faster.

One knocks me to the ground and I wriggle futilely underneath it.

Trying to get away.

'Great cave lion,' the voice says again. 'We ask you for successful hunts, and plentiful food this coming winter in return for the life of the stranger.'

I know that voice.

How could I not know it?

It's the voice of Thunder.

I turn my head to see him standing nearby, glaring at me.

'You were never my son,' he says.

I struggle against the cave lion, seeing its mouth moving to my throat, its teeth glinting in the fire light.

Fire light?

Where did that come from?

And why is the sky dark now?

Not about to rain dark, no, dark, dark. Night dark.

A moment ago, the sun was high in the sky but now it's gone.

Where has it gone?

'You were only ever a stranger,' Thunder continues.

'A nothing,' the voice of my adopted mother says.

My mother?

And joining her are others. Lightning. His wife. His daughter Tulip.

Petal and Leaf are staring down at me with such horrible expressions on their faces, that they make me shudder.

And Storm.

Storm is there, pointing a finger at me. 'You tried to take my woman,' he says.

And then another figure appears, and kisses him on the lips.

Violet.

And she's smiling, as she stares at me. Laughing really.

Laughing at me.

'See how he struggles,' she giggles. 'Struggles against death.'

'I don't want to die,' I shout.

I feel the cave lion's teeth at my throat. Touching it, but not piercing.

As if it is waiting for someone to say go before it bites.

I take one last breath, or try to but there is nothing to breathe.

I just gasp.

And then I hear another voice.

A voice that almost sounds like a grunt.

'Baby, no,' it says.

And the cave lion is pulled off me.

And I can breathe.

I look around and see a woman sat on top of the lion.

Her hair is the colour of dried grass, but far shinier. It falls down her back in waves.

Her eyes are a bluey grey, and filled with such kindness.

And her smile.

Her smile could light the sun in the sky, it is so magnificent.

Behind her is another woman, younger than the first.

With eyes as bright blue as the sky on a hot day.

And a smile like the other.

And strangley, the two of them look familiar.

I glance down when I feel something wet and cold touch my hand.

And stare as a snow flake slowly melts on it.

Snow?

In summer?

I glance back up at the two women, and the cave lion, but can hardly see them.

The flake of snow has turned into a blizzard.

'Find me my son,' the older woman shouts above the roar of the snow. 'We're waiting for you, Panem.'

And then I feel hands on me.

I struggle against them.

Thinking it is my adopted people trying to catch me so they can kill me some other way.

'Rocky,' a voice says. 'Wake up.'


	34. Chapter 34

**Brats (Tulip)**

You'd think the fact that I'm the main young woman of the summer meeting, and far elevated above the other ones would mean something.

That I was treated right.

Treated as special.

Like I was last night.

And the night before.

But no.

That's not how it works.

That's not how a young woman should be treated.

She should be made to work.

That's what they told me.

And what better work than to look after other women's children whilst they get to go on the hunt.

Look after their brats.

I don't want dozens of screaming brats hanging off my arms.

I want to be pampered.

Treated nicely.

Given the best of the food.

And lovely clothes.

I want my feet rubbed.

And my temples massaged.

I am not happy.

I think I'm getting a headache.

And their parents haven't even left yet.

Well, they have.

They've gone to the meeting.

The meeting before the hunt where I guess Rocky will tell them what is going to happen.

Leaving me with the brats.

Okay, the other young women are here. They can look after them.

But I still have to contend with the brats screaming.

With their laughter.

And with one of them coming up to me and telling me that I'm going to be her sister one day.

Yeah right.

Me, the sister of an ugly child like that?

I don't think so.

I scowled at her.

And she proceeded to tell me all the things we'd do when I married her brother.

The brat's Rocky's sister.

I roll my eyes when she asks me if I will play dolls with her.

And tell her I'm feeling tired.

Wave her away.

I'll tell you one thing. Once Rocky and I marry, I'm going to make sure we set up our new hearth somewhere away from his family.

Away from his bratty little sister.

And his brother?

Sigh.

He's even worse.

Shouts at the top of his voice, shouts even louder when I ask him to be quiet.

And sticks out his tongue at me.

I wish I was allowed to punish them.

I'd pound his bum until it was red for being cheeky to me.

To the main young woman.

'Take them away,' I say to the other young women. 'Take them to Violet and tell her to tell them a story,' I say.

Sticking my bottom lip out.

'Take them,' my mother says, glaring at the other young women. 'Do what my daughter says. Do you not know who she is?'


	35. Chapter 35

**I can't... (Rocky)**

I'm nervous.

That dream.

So strange.

It has unsettled me.

Could it be possible that the main young man is sacrificed to some spirit?

I shake my head, trying to clear the dream because really, it's nonsense.

No one wants to hurt me.

I'm loved.

And being givena great honour.

And that is the other part of my worry.

What am I going to say to seasoned hunters who could teach me far, far more than I can teach them.

True, I have hunted.

But I only started properly last year.

I know nothing of plans.

Nothing of how to organise hunters.

What if I do it wrong?

What if my limited experience is not enough?

Someone could get hurt.

Or the hunt could fail and we'd come back with nothing.

And our people haven't got enough meat for the winter.

Would my people starve?

Woukd I starve?

My adopted mother and father, brother and sister, would they die because I failed?

I feel like turning away from the tent we are nearing.

Running away.

Letting someone else lead the hunt instead.

Someone who knows what they're doing.

I stop walking. Stare at my adopted father and shake my head. 'I can't,' I just manage to gasp.

I can feel sweat prickling my forehead and dribbling down my face to pool on my tunic.

And Thunder, my adopted father and the man given the task of bringing me to this meeting laughs

Laughs.

And claps me in the back. 'You'll be fine,' he says. 'Come on.'

And I let myself be dragged through the open flap of the tent.


	36. Chapter 36

**Story Time! (Violet)**

'Far inland, in a cave, lived an old hunter and his wife,' I say, as I stroke the white blonde hair of Rocky's little sister, Petal who's sitting on my lap. 'Times were hard for them, they were the last surviving members of the once thriving cave but over the years, people had either died or moved on. Until there was just the man and woman living there. But though winter had set in and deep snow covered the ground, they had all they needed to survive for they were hardworking and industrious. They had everything but one thing.'

'What was that?' Tree asks, looking up at me from the group of children listening to me.

'Ah,' I continue. 'They had everything but one thing. They didn't have a child, they had never been able to have any which made them sad. Though they had each other, they longed for someone else to ease their loneliness. The days passed slowly that winter. And then one day, when they went out into the snow to chop down some wood for their fire, they decided to have some fun. They made a girl. Out of snow.'

'Oooh, I've done that,' Petal says. 'I like making snow girls.'

'With frozen fingers, they stepped back to admire their creation, the snow girl was amazingly beautiful.'

'Bet it wasn't as beautiful as Tulip,' Tree says, and then snorts. 'Though she'd look better if someone threw a snowball in her face.'

I smile at his joke. 'This girl was far better looking than Tulip,' I say. 'In fact, she was so pretty, it is impossible to describe her.'

'"See wife," the old man said. "She is our daughter Snowbell." The old woman smiled but as her husband turned away, there were tears in her eyes.'

'Poor woman,' murmers one of the young women, a child also on her lap.

'But,' I smile at my audience. 'They were being watched.'

'Who?' Petal asks, popping her thumb in her mouth and staring up at me with wide eyes.

'The spirits of winter, good and kind, they saw how upset the old couple were and how much they longed for a child. And they felt pity for them. So stepping forward, magic crackling around them, they touched the snow girl and turned her into a girl.'

Petal gasps.

'And when the old couple turned to admire once more their handiwork, they were astonished to see, standing where they'd made the snow girl, the most beautiful pale maiden with long flaxen hair. She was dressed in a long, snow covered white tunic, its neck and cuffs trimmed with soft white fur. And on her head was a hat of fur and snowflakes that looked as if it sparkled with an icy flame. Her shoulders were covered with a white fur, and on her feet she wore white boots. The old couple blinked in wonder and disbelief, for there in front of them was their longed for child. Snowbell hesitantly came towards them and their hearts leapt with joy as the young girl said, "If it pleases you, I have come to be your daughter and will care for you as my mother and father." The old woman grasped the snow girl's pale hand and with great joy led her towards their cave. As she followed the couple Snowbell felt the trees and the beasts of the winter forest bid her a happy life. And from that time, she helped with the chores and cared well for the couple. They could not believe their luck at having such a kind and beautiful child. But despite their happiness, her parents also worried about her, she was so quiet and pale and sometimes she seemed so frail as to be almost lifeless. However, there was always fire in her bright blue eyes and her smile could light up the forest. The snow girl loved the trees and the creatures of the forest. In her mortal form, she was a dutiful daughter to her new parents, never complaining or moaning but there was sometimes a distance in her eyes.'

'Why?' one of the children asks.

'Sssh, let her tell her story and we'll find out,' a young woman says, pulling the child onto her lap.

'Two happy months passed and it was time for the winter celebrations. As Snowbell sat in the mouth of their cave, she saw happy people walking passed as they travelled to a celebration at the nearest big cave. The old woman suggested that the snow girl should also go, and enjoy the celebrations, for it must be very dull living all the time with an old couple, but she assured them she was very happy. Then one day, as she was standing by the icy mouth of the cave, she saw Leaf, the son of one of the leaders of the other cave, and his intended Daisy. She saw them lark about and play in the snow and observed the very special bond that existed between the young couple, a bond that she had never known. Later that day, as she was out walking in the forest, the winter spirits that had created her came to her and warned her that she must never form such a friendship with a human or disaster would befall her. Nevertheless poor Snowbell could not stop thinking of the strange bond between the two young people. Wanting to understand more, she could resist no longer. The old woman, helped her put on her white fur, and she went out to join the people walking towards the cave. It was not long before somebody saw the beautiful young lady standing in the snow covered meadow by the celebration cave and Snowbell was bid welcome. She saw Leaf and Daisy in the crowd and went to talk to them but a jealous Daisy pulled Leaf roughly away. Despite this, the crowd was captivated by her beauty and innocence. From then on Snowbell travelled each day to the celebrations. One day, as she enjoyed the bustle of the throngs of people, she heard strains of the most charming music. It was the songs of a young man named Sparrow. Snowbell moved closer to hear more and when Sparrow saw the snow girl watching him play his flute, he thought her very beautiful. He fell deeply in love with Snowbell and they soon became inseparable.'

'Oh dear.'

'As the weeks passed, the weather grew warmer, which alarmed the winter spirits who warned Snowbell to stay inside, away from the bright rays of the sun. But as spring approached the people left their cave more often. Sparrow would often go to the cave of the old couple to ask her to walk with him and his friends, enjoying the sun. "Beautiful Snowbell, do come and join us." And once she appeared, he never left her side. They would dance in the shade of the trees but Snowbell knew there was still something missing, she knew she did not feel the way the humans did. The more she liked Sparrow, the more pale and weak she became but, despite this, she sought out the spirits of spring and asked if she could feel the special bond the humans felt. The spring spirits said they would grant her wish but, if she followed this path, she would surely perish. Snowbell went sadly home.'

'Poor Snowbell.'

I nod. 'The winter spirits continued to watch her from a distance for they knew what would soon happen to her. For a while she stayed away from the cave and Sparrow, but one beautiful morning, he came to visit her and pleaded with her to come out with him, just once, just for a moment. For a long while Snowbell refused to listen but, finally, her heart could no longer resist. She realised she could hide away forever or enjoy, if only briefly, what it was like to be really human. So she left the cave with Sparrow. "Sparrow, play your flute for me!" she asked. Her heart felt warm. She stood before Sparrow, there was so little life left in her, her pale face looked bloodless and her arms and legs tingled. The young man played his flute. She listened to the song and felt love for the first time. Tears rolled down from her eyes. However, she was a creature of ice and snow and could not survive the warmth she felt in her heart. With the faintest sigh, she began to melt. As they stepped from the shade into the rays of the sun, Sparrow went to hold Snowbell but, as he did so, her feet melted beneath her; she fell onto the damp earth and suddenly vanished. There was nothing left but an icy mist, drifting upward into the blue sky. As the snow girl faded away, spring spread over the land: the frost retreated and the small flowers of the fields began to bloom. Everyone was cheered by the return of spring. Everyone that is except for Sparrow who felt desolate and cold, despite the warmth of the sun. As for the old couple, they felt their loss deeply but, in their hearts, they had always known the magic could not last. They were just thankful for the beautiful snow girl who had brought such warmth and joy to their lives and given them hope in the depths of winter.

'That's so sad,' Petal says. 'Did she die? What happened to her?'

'As she melted away, her spirit was caught by the winter spirits who retreated to far lands with the advance of the spring spirits. They took the spirit of the snow girl across the glaciers to the frozen lands of the north, where she again took the form of a beautiful young woman. Here she plays all through the summer - on the frozen seas. But, each year in winter, on the first day of the New Year, the winter spirits and the snow girl returned. And she helped them with their magic, creating joy in the lives of humans, helping those that were good and kind, particularly children, bringing them small gifts and helping to make their dreams come true.'

I smile. 'And some say, that when Sparrow died many years later, she came for him and now they are together forever. And sometimes, in the depth of winter, if you listen very hard, you can hear Sparrow playing his flute while Snowbell sings.'

'What utter rot,' a spiteful voice shouts, from the other side of the tent. 'You're a terrible storyteller Violet.'

I look across to where Tulip is sat on a chair, arrayed with furs, with her mother crouched on the floor rubbing her feet.

'And you could do better?' I ask.

'Of course.'

'Well come on then.'

She shakes her head. 'I'm too tired.'

'More like too rubbish at telling stories' Petal says.

To which I smile.


	37. Chapter 37

**The Meeting**

'Come in and sit down,' a leader says as we enter the tent. She waves in the direction of a couple of tree stumps.

I hurry toward one of them, and sit down.

'As I was saying,' the leader continues. 'We have to have a successful hunt. Therefore we need to decide what will happen.'

I frown.

I thought that was my job.

I don't say anything though.

Just sit there.

'So if the hunters are split into six groups, they can all come an the auroch from different directions.'

'Yes,' another agrees. 'And each group can be led by the six best hunters.'

'Who are?'

'Well, I think you'll all agree that Tiger should be one of them. He's strong but fast.'

The others nod their heads.

And I just watch, feeling more and more confused.

'Tiger, yes, and what about Wood and maybe even Dandilion.'

'Both would be good choices. Wood can run very fast, and Dandilion is an expert hunter, she's probably one of the best.'

'So that's three hunters, but what about three others?'

'I think Stone should be one of them,' a younger leader says. 'I know he's from my cave, and my friend, but what he lacks from his youth, he certainly makes up by his skill.'

'I agree. And I recommend Wind, because he knows all about his name sake, and how to work around it so that the animals we're hunting don't know they are in danger until it is too late.'

'And the last leader is obviously...'

I start to stand up.

'Willow.'

What?

Not me?

I thought...

I'm supposed to lead the hunt so why are they saying that these other hunters will be in charge?

The leader who told us to sit down steps forward, a blush on her face. 'I'm honoured that you think I'm a good enough hunter to lead one of the groups,' she says. 'I will make sure that I don't let you all down.'

Six groups, six leaders, and I'm not one of them, which begs the question why have they said I will lead the hunt if they aren't going to let me do that?

What is going on?

'So it's decided, the six hunters in charge are Willow, Tiger, Stone, Wood, Dandilion and Wind? If anyone objects, please raise your hand.'

I feel like raising my hand, because I do object.

But everyone is older than me. I'm not much more than a boy, and obviously they've decided to take away the honour of leading the hunt from me to give it to others.

I feel like crying.

'We should send a runner to the hunters to bring them here,' a leader suggests. 'Then they can pick their teams out of the other hunters going.'

'Yes,' Willow nods her head, and head out of the tent flap. A moment later, she's back. 'Done,' she smiles.

'Good, now as we wait for the hunters, is there any other business?'

Yes, me, I think. But...

I don't say it out loud.

'Well that just leads us with one thing. The leader of the hunt...'

I grin. She's talking about me. I'm going to be in charge after all.

Maybe, I'm going to be in charge of the six hunters, telling them my plans.

Not that I have a plan.

'Rocky, if you'll come over here,' Willow says.

I stand up and walk over to her, tripping up on a stone in the ground and nearly sprawling over on my face.

I feel my face redden.

'Come on,' Willow says.

She sounds impatient but she's smiling at me.

'Okay, Rocky's intended won the cooking competition making him the main young man of this summer meeting and therefore the leader of the hunt.'

I feel so proud standing there, with everyone looking at me.

'Now of course we all know, the leader of the hunt is just a honorary title given to the young man. It is unlikely that a thirteen summers old would have the skills to lead others, or the ability to keep himself out of trouble.'

I blink.

What!

What?

I don't understand. I'm so confused.

'But...' I just about manage to say but my words dry up as my throat constricts.

She glances at me. 'Are you all right?'

'I'm...' I shake my head. 'I thought I would be in charge of the hunt.'

She laughs and then frowns when she sees that I'm serious. 'You didn't know?'

I shake my head.

She looks at one of the other leaders. 'Why wasn't he informed?' she asks. 'Why was he led to believe...'

'I thought his father would tell him.'

I look over to where Thunder, my adopted father is sitting.

He stands up.

'And I thought that as usual, that the leader in charge of the young men would tell him.'

He looks mad.

And so does Willow.

'How could you slack in your duty?' she asks the leader in charge of us young men. 'It's a simple thing, to just inform him what would actually happen, but it seems that maybe someone else should have your job.'

The leader twists his mouth into a scowl.

And glowers at me.

He looks like he wants to hit me, but Thunder comes and stands next to me.

'It seems that we'll have to inform the leader of the hunt exactly what is going to happen,' Willow sighs.

And she shakes her head. 'I'm sorry you were allowed to believe that you would be in charge during the hunt. I know that previous young men have boasted about their exploits during the summer meeting hunt, allowing those not in the know, mainly the other first summer young men and women and our children, that they had a bigger role than they did, but they were embellishing the truth. As I'm sure you will too. And we have allowed them to do that. But in reality, the leader of the hunt is more like a mascot, an image for our people to see, you will lead the hunters out of the gathering later today, and then be kept back as much as possible during the hunt, only allowing your involvement when there is no threat. But you are the only first summer young man or woman going, so it is still something to be proud off. You will be supported in the hunt, but will still be involved at the end, and will be allowed your own kill. If it is safe. And after the hunt, you will lead the victorious men back.'

'Oh.'

'Don't be disappointed,' she says.

And to be quite honest, strangely I'm not. I'm actually relieved that I won't be in charge of the hunters, that I won't hold their lives in my hands.

'Okay,' I say. 'I understand.'


	38. Chapter 38

**Watching (Storm)**

Been watching the leaders' tent all morning but every time the flap has been lifted, and someone has come out, or someone had gone in, I've stepped back so I can't be seen.

This time though, this time more than one person steps out and as people have been gathering for the last hour, I don't need to hide.

I watch as the leaders come out, followed by six hunters, and my former friend.

They are met with the others who are going on the hunt. Young men and women enjoying their second summer meeting as young adults, and older ones too.

The crowd around me cheers as they come out, and when two of them lift Rocky up and put him on their shoulders, the crowd roars its approval.

Rocky smiles down at everyone, his face aglow.

He looks so smug.

They lead him to the young women's tent, where he will meet and receive best wishes from his intended.

Tulip.

As we move toward it, I can see her standing there.

Her white blonde hair still has a slight tint of green to it, and she's wearing a long woven tunic, edged with embroidery.

She looks so pretty.

I can't help feeling jealous when the two men deposit Rocky in front of her, and she runs forward.

And hugs him.

Kisses him on the cheek.

Hugs him again.

He just stands there, accepting her love.

It makes me sick.

And then the hunters pick him up again, and another two pick Tulip up, and we all start to leave the summer meeting encampment, though only the hunters and Rocky will be going further than the trees.

The crowd pushes against me, trying to see what is happening, but I push back.

At the edge of the forest, they put Rocky down again, and then one by one they disappear through the trees, leaving only Rocky and Tulip, and the crowd.

And me.

'Rocky,' the crowd shouts.

And he looks across at us, and smiles.

Scans the crowd.

I step back so he doesn't see me.

'Come back safely,' Tulip says in her sweet, sweet voice. 'I will miss you.'

'Yeah, he responds and then he waves to the crowd and slips into the forest.

Leaving Tulip standing there, looking oh so sad.

And because she's sad, I want to comfort her.

I step forward, as the crowd leaves.

'Tulip,' I murmer.

And she looks around at me.


	39. Chapter 39

**Yes? (Storm)**

'Yes?' Tulip says. 'What do you want?'

'I…' I gulp. 'I just wanted to make sure you're okay.'

'Why?'

She puts her hands on her hips and glares at me.

'You looked upset.'

'And me being upset is your business, how?'

'I'm sorry.'

'You're sorry? You dare to approach me, talk to me and you're sorry? You should be grovelling on the ground begging my forgiveness for even breathing the same air as me.'

I blink. 'What?'

She tilts her head to one side, and twists her mouth into a smile.

That is far from kind.

'You heard,' she says. 'You're just a snivelling worm, how dare you come near me.'

'But…'

'And don't look all wide eyed at me. I know what you were doing.'

'You do?'

She laughs. 'It's obvious. Rocky's gone hunting and you come to visit me. I'm not interested.'

'I didn't say you were, I just…'

'Just go away Storm.'

'You know who I am?'

She snorts. 'Are you thick as well as demented? Of course I know who you are. You're that boy that was always trailing after Rocky when we were younger. The one who he called his best friend.'

'I am his best friend.'

She shakes her head. 'Not anymore.'

I look down at the ground, feeling ashamed of how I'd been with him since the intendeds had been announced.'

'Oh, I know you're angry with him,' she says.

I glance up at her.

'But the way you've been acting the last few days isn't what I'm talking about. You're not going to be his friend because I'm his intended, I'm going to be his wife and will say who he is friends with, and who he is not.'

'Pardon?'

'You heard. Me and Rocky. I'm going to be the one wearing the hunters' tunic in our relationship. I'm not going to let you near him Storm.'

Not going to let me near him?

I feel anger starting to well up within me, pooling throughout me.

I clench my fingers tightly into fists.

'You're not going to let me near him?' I shout.

She steps back, clearly shocked at my sudden anger.

And then she smiles. Smirks. And nods. 'You can say goodbye to your friendship with him,' she says. 'When I've finished with him, he's going to hate you.'

And with that statement, she turns and starts to walk back to the young woman's tent.

But when I take one step forward to follow her, she turns with a shriek and starts to run.

I stare after her.

This girl who I like.

Or liked.

The girl that got between my friendship with Rocky.

And wants to end it.

'It's not going to happen,' I mutter to myself. 'I won't let it happen.'


	40. Chapter 40

**Berries (Violet)**

I feel someone tugging at my tunic and look down into the eager face of Petal.

'I'm hungry,' she says.

I bend down so I'm level with her. 'You are?'

She nods, and rubs her belly. 'Lily's hungry too.'

'Lily?'

She lifts up her hide doll. 'She wants berries.'

I smile. 'Well, if that's what Lily wants, then that's what she'll get. Do you want berries too?'

'Yes please,' she says.

I take her hand, and lead her to the back of the cave where we keep our berries. Open a basket and give her some.

She stuffs one to her mouth, staining her chin as juice drips from her lips.

'I'm hungry too,' a little voice says, and I turn to see another little girl, with other boys and girls behind them.

'Well, let's get you some food then,' I say, giving them each a handful of berries.

'Thank you,' a little girl says as she munches them.

I stroke the hair on her head, and watch as they all run off to play.

And then I look down at the empty baskets that had contained the berries.

There are none left.

'Blossom,' I call as I grab one of the baskets, and my spear shooter.

'Where are you going?' the older woman says, as she hurries over.

'Just down the river, to a patch of raspberries I saw there,' I say. 'I won't be long.'

She nods and stares at the empty baskets. 'Who'd think that little children could eat so much,' she says ruefully.

I laugh and agree with her as I leave the young women's tent.


	41. Chapter 41

**Travelling (Rocky)**

I have never been so tired as I am right now.

We've been walking for what seems like hours, heading to the location where aurochs were sighted.

And through that time, I've been scratched by brambles, had a bird poop on my head, stung by nettles, and am now covered up to my knees in mud.

I also have a big slog on my bottom where I fell over.

Willow, who has taken on the position I thought I would take, that of leader of the hunt, the real leader, has told me that we will stop soon, and camp for the night, before making an early start tomorrow.

'Does that mean even more walking tomorrow?' I ask, panting slightly.

She laughs. 'A little, yes. But not too much. The hunters, you included, need to be well rested before we attack the aurochs. Otherwise the animals might get away, or even worse, someone might get hurt.'

'Okay.'

She puts her hand on my shoulder. 'You'll be fine Rocky. All this walking will make you strong so when you come to join the hunt next year, you will still be the main young man.' She nods toward a strong young man in front of us. 'Stone was the leader of the hunt last year, and now he's in charge of one of the groups.'

'Really?'

She smiles, and nods her head.


	42. Chapter 42

**Take them away (Violet)**

I got back from the berry patch to find Tulip waiting for me.

'You gave the brats my berries.'

'Brats?' I'd twisted my mouth into a frown.

She'd waved her hand toward where Petal and the other children were playing.

'They are not brats. And the berries weren't yours.'

'Well, these ones are,' she said, and snatched basket filled with berries from me. 'Now, go and do something useful. Take the brats away,' she says. 'Take them for a walk. I've got a headache and can't cope with hearing their screams anymore.'

So that's what we did. Me, and a few others of the young women. And a couple of the older ones. We took the children for a walk, down to the berry patch with baskets.

Though more berries got eaten and squashed on the ground than ended up in the baskets.

'Let's play a game,' Petal says after a while.

'A game?' I ask. 'What do you want to play?'

'Hide and seek, and you can be it.'

'Can I?'

She giggles and then grabs another girl's hand. 'Let's go and find a good hiding place while she's counting,' she says to her.

One by one, or two by two, or in larger groups, the children, and the women start to leave.

Though I only know this because I can hear the scrunch of cracking wood as they move away.

I don't see them go and my hands are over my eyes and I'm positioned in front of a tree.

Even if I did peak, all I'd see is bark.

It is quiet now.

I can only hear the sound of a bird calling in this distance.

And of course, I can hear myself.

My voice.

My voice counting.

'One, two, three…' I say. 'Four, five, six…'

I know that the other women will make sure that nothing happens to the children.

Even though it will be dark soon, I know that they'll make sure that they don't get lost.

'Ninety eight, ninety nice,' I say. 'One hundred. Coming ready or not I say.


	43. Chapter 43

**The River (Storm)**

I didn't really feel like going back into camp, not after what Tulip said to me, so I decided to have a walk down to the river.

It is peaceful here, away from the camp.

Now, a few hours later, I still sit on the bank.

And watch as a bird flies down and snatches a fish out of the water, making it splash, and then circle in little pools.

I haven't been here before, when I've been to the river, to wash, I've entered it further downstream.

Where the current is gentle.

I pick up a pebble, and try to bounce it across.

It lands with a plop in the water, not bouncing once.

I'm useless at doing it.

Though Rocky isn't.

And with my memory of him, comes the thoughts wondering how he's doing.

Has the hunt started yet?

I know they'll be away for a couple of days, but I have no idea what happens.

I mean, other young men, in previous years, have boasted about ordering older men around, of killing the biggest animal but how much is true, no one but them knows.

I reckon they'll just travel today, and stop for the night.

They did take tents.

And then tomorrow, Rocky, my best friend Rocky, will lead the hunters.

I really hope he doesn't get hurt.

I lie back and stare at the darkening sky. And then close my eyes, and fall asleep.

I am awoken by the sound of a girl screaming.


	44. Chapter 44

**The Hole (Violet)**

After spending the rest of the day outside with the children, hunting and cooking rabbits for our tea, and telling stories around the fire, we're just about to head back to the summer meeting to put them to bed in the young women's tent when we hear the scream.

I look at the other women, who look as startled as me.

And then I start to run.

'Violet,' an older woman shouts. 'Stop. You can't go back.'

I slam my feet to a stop, and twist around, my toes burying themselves in the undergrowth.

'Why? Someone could be hurt.'

She nods. 'Maybe, but our first priority has to be the children. I think it would be best if we hide. And then someone could slip back into the summer meeting to find out what is happening.'

I frown but don't argue. I don't know what's going on, but the way the woman's face twists, I feel that she knows something I don't.

'Okay,' I say, heading back to them.

Petal grabs my hand as I reach them, and clings on. Her face is pale and she looks scared. 'What's going on Violet?' she asks.

I shrug. 'I don't know, but whatever it is, you don't have to be scared. You're quite safe.'

'Okay,' she says, and puts her thumb in her mouth.

'There's a massive tree near here,' the woman says. 'It's very old and quite dead, and there's a hollow in it, big enough for an adult to crawl through.'

'Big enough for all of us?'

'If one goes in it at a time, yes. There's an opening inside, that drops down into the roots. Long ago small shelves were carved into it that leads down. At the bottom, there's a tunnel that leads to a cave.'

'A cave?'

'It's a sacred cave, its walls shine light into the dark, and we usually use it for ceremonies, for instance on a child's naming day but Amber is good and would not object to us using it to protect the children.'

We've been walking all the time we've been talking.

Well, whispering.

And now, we stop in front of a large, massively large tree. It grows out of a tangle of bushes and undergrowth that hide the bottom of it.

The woman pushes aside one bush right in front of it to reveal a gap in the truck.

'Iris,' the woman says. 'You go first.'

The young woman nods and steps forward, picking up one of the children, and hugging him to her chest.

Then she slips through the hole.

And disappears.

I feel a tug on my arm and look down at Petal.

'I'm scared,' she says. 'It's dark in there.'

I pick her up and she wraps her legs and arms around my waist and neck.

'Don't be scared,' I murmur into her hair as I step toward the tree. 'We'll be fine.'

I just hope we will be.

I climb through the hole, holding on tight to Petal and feel a shelf to put my feet on. And then I edge forward, feeling the end of the shelf, followed by another one slightly lower.

And when I reach the bottom of the shelves, I can see a light shining dimly through the dark tunnel and the faces of Iris and the child, and the other young women and children, as they wait for us and the others.

We walk down it, and into a cave that I can barely describe.

The walls seem to shine with unearthly light.

'It's quite safe,' Iris says. 'Come on, let's go sit over there and wait for the others.'

And she leads me and Petal over to where some logs have been placed.

Though how they came to be here, I do not know.


	45. Chapter 45

**Smiles (Storm)**

I'm up and running before the bloodcurdling scream has stopped. Running toward the summer meeting. That scream sounded terrified, as if someone was dying. I don't know what is happening, but whatever it is, I have to try to stop it.

Yeah, I know, I'm known as a joke really. Especially when I drink. I'm not the responsible one, that's Rocky, I'm the one who messes around.

But when someone's in trouble, when they are as terrified as that screams seems to tell me they are, then I change.

I want to help.

I need to help.

I will help.

So I run, toward where the scream came from, pass the fast moving river, through the trees who's branches scratch my face as I pass by.

But my focus is only on that scream, and whoever did it, I hardly notice what's around me.

Though I do notice the stench of smoke.

Coming from the summer meeting.

Something is on fire?

Could that explain the scream?

Something is on fire, and someone is trapped and screaming for help.

And I'm going to help them.

I hope.

But as I get closer, I can see that the smoke isn't coming from just one place.

But several.

Several fires.

Billowing black smoke into the sky.

How is that possible?

Of course, the summer camp has lots of normal fires, but this smoke isn't normal smoke, it's the colour of smoke from a tent on fire, when hide, and wood, and food, and whatever is inn it burns.

But a tent fire might start in one place, but the chances of another one starting, surely that's madness.

It must be impossible.

But still I see four different plumes of smoke rising up into the sky.

No, not four, five.

And then I see another.

Rising up from where I know the young women's tent is.

The young women's tent is on fire.

And last I knew, it was occupied by the first summer young women, and older ones, and the children that they were looking after.

They could be trapped.

They could be dying.

Choking to death on smoke.

Burning.

I run faster, veering toward the young women's tent.

And that's when I hear another scream.

And see, out of the corner of my eye, someone fall in the bushes.

I stop.

Look through the leaves.

To see a man.

Crouches over someone on the ground.

Who has a wound in their stomach.

Which is bleeding and spilling out intestines.

I step back.

And a twig crunches under my foot.

And the man turns his head to look at me.

And smiles.


	46. Chapter 46

**Are you ready? (Rocky)**

I wake to the sound of someone snoring in my ear. Turning over, I see the man, old enough to be my father, is dribbling in his sleep.

I grimace and stand up, quickly get dressed and then roll my bedding up and put it in my backpack.

Then I leave the tent, to be met with the sight of the sky lightening, and Willow sat on her own, holding a cut of tea in her hand and staring into the fire.

'Good morning,' I say.

She turns. 'Rocky,' she says. 'A good morning to you too. Getting an early start I see.'

'Am I? I'm sorry.'

She smiles. 'Nothing to be sorry about. I will be going around to wake everyone in a little while anyway. Are you hungry?' she laughs. 'What am I talking about? Young men are always hungry. There's stew leftovers from last night in the cooking pot,' she points to the fire. 'I put extra grain in it about an hour ago. Should be nice and thick and filling by now. Get some.'

I ladle some out into a bowl and get myself a cut of hot tea and then go to sit next to her.

'Will we be setting off soon?'

'Once everyone is ready,' she responds. 'Are you all ready to go?'

'Yeah, my bedding is packed. I just need to find a twig to clean my teeth once I've eaten.'

'Good.' She stands up. 'I'd better wake everyone else up or we'll never get to go on our hunt.'

I sip my tea as I watch her head to the nearest tent.


	47. Chapter 47

A sleepless night (Violet)

We spent a sleepless night in the cave, well the young and old women did anyway, the children soon fell asleep.

We covered them with old hides.

But the night for the rest of us, was cold.

A young woman, newly married this summer meeting who's husband has gone hunting, volunteered to see what was happening in the summer meeting.

Though she wasn't allowed to leave for some time.

The older women said it might not be safe.

And when she came back, her eyes were filled with tears.

'What's going on?' a woman asks.

'Gone,' she says. 'It's all gone.'

'What do you mean by gone?' I ask.

'Everything is burnt,' she says. 'And there's dead bodies just scattered around. They were brutally massacred.'

An older woman nods her head. 'It is how I thought. There have been rumours coming from inland of raids recently. We'd hoped we would be all right, living so far away, but obviously we were wrong. They must have been waiting for the hunters to leave before attacking, knowing we'd not be able to fight them with most of the strong young men and women gone.'

'Is everyone dead?' I ask.

And I'm thinking of my mother and my father and all the people I've grown up with.

'I doubt it. They've taken captives in the past. Just killed those who tried to fight back. Or they might not even have been in camp. I know your mother had been talking about going back to your cave early, to get it ready I guess. And your father wouldn't have let her go on her own.'

'She didn't say anything.'

She shrugs. 'She probably didn't want to say anything. After all, you must have been upset when your intended refused… ah,' she blushes. 'Sorry.'

I'm about to say that I don't mind, but thoughts of my intended make me realise I do mind, not about that, but about the fact that he could be dead.

'We need to get back,' I say, standing up.

The woman pulls me down. 'The raiders could be still out there,' she says. 'We stay here for now.'

'But what about food? And other things too? It was cold in here last night. We can't stay.'

'We can and we will. At least for now. But some of the older women will leave and get enough supplies to last until the hunters get back.'

'But…'

'We have to protect the children.'


	48. Chapter 48

**Trussed up (Storm)**

Trussed up like a ptaragin on a spit, I'm pushed by a man to make me walk.

All around me are my people.

Well those that weren't lucky enough to get away, but lucky enough not to end the day dead.

I had no chance against that man, he was far bigger than me, and though I could probably have fun, I hadn't until it was too late.

And he'd tied me up and pushed into the summer meeting camp, passed burnt out tents and dead bodies, to where others had been tied up, and secured to each other.

Not long after, they made us start walking.

I don't know what is going to happen to us.

Will we ever see our people again?

Those that are left.

Will I see my parents again?

Because they're not with us, and if they're not with us, then they could be dead.

And I might never find out.

Walking near me, her face covered with ash, her blonde hair dirty, and her hands scratched and torn, is Tulip.

She doesn't look so pretty any more.

But she's as stroppy as she was when she told me my friendship with Rocky was over.

'Let me go,' she shrieks. 'Do you not know who I am?'

'Hush,' her mother says next to her.

'I will not hush. I will shout until they take notice. I'm filthy, and want to stop to wash, and I want some clean clothes and some food. And I want to stop walking. I want to be carried.'

She's mad.

One of the raiders, for that's what they are, strides over to her and hits her so she falls on the ground.

'How dare you?' she says, snarling up at him.

'I dare because you're nothing,' he says. 'You're rubbish, just a slave.'

'A slave? I am not a slave.'

'Well, you are now,' he reaches out and lifts a strand of ash covered blonde hair. 'I hope you're prettier under all that than you look. With a mouth like that, you'll need to be.'

He laughs.

'Unless you want to end up as target practise.'

Tulip growls, actually growls. 'I will never be a slave.'

He leans in close and whispers in her ear, but what he says is loud enough for us all to hear.

'You already are honey.'


	49. Chapter 49

**Aurochs! (Rocky)**

We stop on the edge of a vast grasslands on which are grazing a herd of aurochs.

I have never been so close to such a large animal before, much less lots of them and the thought that I will be seeing them even closer makes me tremble.

Especially when I consider the fast moving hooves of terror filled animals who could stampede all over me.

Willow sends five teams to silently move around the animals, positioning themselves so the aurochs have no place to run and then after speaking to her team, she turns to me.

'Keep behind me,' she says. 'Whatever you do, I want you to stay safe and that means not playing the big hero.'

'I wouldn't...'

She lifts a finger to her lips. 'They all say that but sometimes a young man thinks they are invisible. A few years ago, a young man was trampled to death because he ran in front of one of a hunter and tried to take his kill.'

I gasp. 'Do you mean Bird?'

'He was a strong young man and I beleve would have been a brulliant hunter by now. But he's not here because he was foolish. I don't want you to make the same mistake.'

I stare into her eyes, clench my jaw and nod my head.

'Good. Now as I say, stay behind me, don't make any silly mistakes and I will make sure you get your kill.'

She picks up her spear, crouches down a bit and starts to weave her way toward the aurochs. The other hunters in the team follow her. As do I.

I don't think they have any idea we're coming but then, Wind made us cover ourselve with mud which is now dry and cracking.

But hopefully it will encase our body odours so we just spell of the ground.

And then we stop and the hunters fan out.

I stay behind Willow.

Watching her from behind, waiting for her to lift her hand above the grass as a signal to all the hunters.

I hold my breath until my chest hurts and then I see the signal and watch as the hunters lunge forward, running towards the vulnerable aurochs and surrounding them.

I run too but stay behind Willow.

Gripping my spear so hard I think my fingers will break.

Some of the hunters have got spear shooters and are already shooting their spears at the aurochs.

One hits an animal right in the eye causing it to bellow its anger before it falls on the ground and its side stills.

The spear must have gone through to its brains, killing it almost immediately.

A female hunter brings down a male in his prime whilst Stone kills an old one who probably didn't have long left in this world.

A couple of hunters trap a young aurochs, separating it from its mother and quickly kill it.

The mother tries to get away but then another thin spear flies from further down the grassland but the animal isn't killed, just runs, trying to get to safety, the spear sticking out of its side and blood welling up around it and splattering the ground.

I watch as a young man, only a couple of years older than me rushes toward it with a thicker spear in his hand and has to jump out of the way as it veers toward him.

He nearly gets trampled. As it is, he'll probably have bruises tomorrow because of how hard he slammed into the ground.

He jumps up and runs after it but that makes it even more scared and it changes directions again.

It runs to the section of the grasslands I'm in.

Heading straight toward Willow.

Who doesn't seem to see it.

She's too busy shouting at another hunter who's decided to run after the rest of the herd.

She doesn't realise the danger she's in.

And neither does anyone else.

But me.

'Willow,' I shout. 'Watch out.'

She doesn't hear me.

I start running toward her.

'Get out of the way,' I shout. 'You're going to get trampled.'

The auroch is close now, closer than I am to Willow.

I'm too far away.

'Willow,' I shout desperately as loud as I can.

She turns and grins at me. 'Are you okay?' she mouths.

I shake my head and point at the stampeding animal.

She turns and looks.

Flinches.

Tries to get out of the way.

But she can't.

It's too late.

The auroch is about to trample her.

Probably kill her.

I lift my spear and with every bit of strength wirhin me, pushed on by fear, I throw it at the auroch.

It flies through the air, spinning slightly.

All I can hear is thundering hooves.

And a frightened scream.

And then the auroch is on its side, a second spear buried deep within its side. It pants a few times and blood wells from its mouth.

In front of it, Willow stands trembling, staring down at it with disbelief.

She looks up at me as I run over. Passes me her spear. 'Finish it,' she says.

I step toward the auroch and stab it deep with the spear, right through where its heart must be.

It flinches.

Stares up at me with brown eyes which seem to fog over as it dies.

I turn to look at Willow.

'Are you okay?'

She nods. 'Thanks to you.'


	50. Chapter 50

**Bored (Violet)**

I'm bored, so fed up. I just want to get out of this cave. It's walls, their constant unearthly glow, is giving me a headache and I long to breath in fresh air instead of the stale stuff.

But it's not safe.

They could be out there still.

The raiders.

But what is out there for sure, are the dead bodies of my people, rotting in the hot sunshine.

The air over the summer meeting must stink.

It must be filled with flies by now.

On second thoughts, this cave isn't too bad.

But I'm still bored.

And even little Petal is starting to annoy me.

Poor little Petal.

Poor, all the children.

They have no idea what's happened.

What horrors wait for us out there.

We can't let them now.

We have to keep them safe.

So I tell them stories, and when things get too much, when I can't stand it anymore, I take myself to the other side of the cave and lie down, sleep while the others entertain and look after the children.

But I don't sleep for long.

Because I dream that I'm at the summer camp when the raiders came, and am murdered by them.

Or that I'm walking amid the dead bodies, who suddenly like the myths of zombies, sit up and claw at my ankles.

I wake up when I dream that, trembling, the hide tangled over my legs, and half expecting the dead to be coming down the tunnel.

To get us.


	51. Chapter 51

**The Raiders' Cave (Tulip)**

We reach the raiders' cave by evening, and I slump onto the ground, with relief at not having to walk any longer.

'Get up,' my mother hisses down at me.

I look at her, she's still standing.

As is everyone else.

I'm too tired.

'You'll get into trouble,' she says. 'They haven't said we can sit.'

'I don't care.' I pull my boots off, wincing at the blisters of my feet.

And then I feel my hair being grabbed, and I'm dragged to the nearby cave, where I'm thrown at the feet of an old woman.

I look up at her.

Her hair, what she's got left, is white, and bits of her scalp show through it. She smirks at me with a mouth full of rotten teeth and eyes that look different ways.

I stare at her.

'Get up.'

I stand on trembling legs.

'What's your name?'

'Tulip.'

'Tulip?' she laughs. 'What sort of name is Tulip?'

'They call their people after the things of nature,' a younger woman says behind her.

She's wearing a brown tunic, and her face is dirty.

She looks tired.

The woman slaps her. 'Did I say that you could speak? Hey Zar, did I?'

'No.'

'No what?' she slaps her again.

'No Mistress.' She lowers her head and looks at her bare toes.

The old woman snorts and then turns around to look at me. 'I can't call you Tulip, that name is just ridiculous. From now on, you will be named Zor.'

'But…'

She grimaces and steps closer so I can smell her rancid breath. 'Don't ever try to argue with me slave, or you'll regret it.'

'Don't argue with her,' Zar mouths behind her.

'I'm sorry,' I say to the old woman. 'But I'm not a…'

'Are you trying to argue?'

I shake my head.

'Good.'

And then she punches me in the face.

And sneers at me.

'I'm Zerennia, and I am your owner,' she says. 'At least I am for now. Though if you do not obey me, or are an unsatifactory slave, then I will send you to be a target practise slave. Or worse. Do you understand?'

'Yes, but…'

'Zor…' she warns, pulling her hand into another fist.

I don't say anything, just watch her.

I feel blood dribbling down my cheek from my mouth.

'And you've hurt yourself,' she says. 'Let me look.'

She grabs the back of my hair and forces the dirty fingers of her other hand into my mouth.

It tastes rank.

'You have good teeth,' she says. 'Wish I could pull them out and put them in mine.'

I shudder.

'Though if you do disobey me, I might just pull them out anyway. Now, how old are you?'

'Thirteen.'

'And have you started your periods? Are you a woman?'

'Yes, this last winter. I was late in starting. Mother said…'

'I don't want your life story,' she says.

'Oh.'

'Are you strong? You don't look strong.'

'Not really.'

'Either you are or you're not. Which is it?'

'I'm not.'

She snorts. 'And what skills do you have?'

'I…'

'Yes?'

'I can sew.'

'Are you good?'

'I'm okay.'

'Just okay?'

'My mother said I am all fingers and thumbs.'

'Right.' She frowns. 'Well, not going to let you sew anything then. I don't want my clothes to look all wonky, they'd just mar my beauty.'

I stare at her with shock.

Beauty?

Her?

She growls, having seen my look of incredulity.

'Do you not think I'm beautiful?' she demands.

'I…'

'Well?'

I see Zar behind her nodding her head, urging me to say that the woman is beautiful.

But I just can't.

'No.'

'What?'

'You're not beautiful. You're old.'

'Excuse me?'

She steps closer to me so I can smell her hot breath. It smells of rancid meat and rot.

'I said you're not beautiful. Maybe you were when you were younger but now, you're just a dried up hag. I am beautiful. And I'm not a slave. I'm the main young woman of this year's summer meeting and I will not allow you to talk to me like…'

'You won't allow me?' she asks, spittle flying from her mouth and hitting my face.

I raise a hand to wipe it off, but she smacks it down.

'You won't allow me to talk to you like I am?'

I nod.

And gulp.

Stand nervously.

Waiting for her to hit me.

Thump me.

I also stand defiantly, staring into one of her eyes.

The other is looking the other way.

She laughs. 'You've got spirit girl,' she says. 'I give you that.'

I let out my breath, which I didn't know I was holding.

It's going to be okay.

'You've got spirit and I'm going to enjoy breaking it.'

'What? But I'm…'

'Yes, I heard you. You're the main young woman of this year's summer meeting, and obviously think you're something special. Well, I can tell you, here, you're not special. You are nothing. Just a slave. And you will soon learn your true place in this life.'

I glare at her.

'You are a slave. My slave. You'll either learn to accept that or you'll be sorry.'

'Sorry? How will I be sorry?'

'You'll see.'

She shoves me toward Zar.

'Get her cleaned up. I can't stand the stench of her anymore.'

I think she just called me smelly.

This dirty, horrible woman said I smell.

I open my mouth to object, but Zar pushes me out of the cave.

'Are you stupid?' she asks.

'Excuse me? Did you just call me stupid?'

'Yes, I did. Now, come on. We need to get you washed. I'll take you to the river.'

'I do not bathe in the river,' I say. 'My father had a large bowl, big enough for me to sit in, carved out for me. I always bathe in that.'

'Well it's not here,' she hisses. 'You'll have to make do with the river.'

'But…'

'Come on,' she urges me. 'We have to hurry.'

'Why?'

'Because she'll beat the both of us if we take too long.'

'Oh.'

'Come on then,' she pushes me along. 'You wash, and while you're doing that, I'll get you some a clean tunic.'

'Okay. I guess. Just as though I am the only one at the river. I need my privacy you know.'

She snorts.

And then I see the river.

Filled with the naked bodies of my people.

As they too are made to wash.

In the full glare of everyone else.

I stop walking and shake my head. 'I am not going to…'

'You don't have a choice.'

'I always have a choice.'

'Not anymore Zor.'

'I'm not called Zor,' I say, whipping around to glare at her. 'My name is Tulip. Only call me Tulip.'

She shakes her head. 'I can't. It isn't safe. If she hears me…' She shudders. 'You have no idea what she's like.'

'Well, I won't respond to Zor,' I say defiantly. 'How would you like to be called a name that isn't yours?'

She sighs. 'You think you're the only one who's suffered? I've been a slave for three years now, since the raiders came to my cave. Most of my people were slaughtered, they only took the young ones. Since then, I've lived with a number of different mistresses and masters, and all of them called me something different. I've been known as Zam, as Zat, Zolla, and now Zar, but that's not my name. Only I know my name. The others of my people, if they are still alive, have forgotten. My name isn't Zar, or any name that the raiders come up with. The name the Zelendonii of my cave announced on my naming day was Jalana.'


	52. Chapter 52

**Back to the summer meeting (Violet)**

One of the women has just come back from spying on the summer meeting and said that many of our people are there, and they've started picking up and burying the dead.

So it must be safe to go back.

I hope.

Some stay behind to look after the children, but not me. I get to leave the cave, climb my way through the tree's roots and breath in the sweet, fresh air.

The air isn't fresh at the summer meeting, I can smell smoke and ash, but most of the smell has already gone.

The burnt tents haven't though. And most of them are destroyed.

The leader's tent is, as is the young women's tent. We find that people are camping on the other side of the camp where the raiders didn't go so much, there's a group of them in the young men's tent.

And I find my parents.

They're all right.

They hadn't gone back to our cave to prepare it though.

They'd just decided to take a stroll whilst the sun set.

They're romantic like that.

Always doing things.

I am so happy to see that they are okay.

And they are ecstatic that I am alive.

And not stolen by the raiders.

They hug me when they see me, and not one at a time, no they hug me in a scrum, both parents together, I can barely breathe.

And I don't care.

I am alive.

They are alive.

But many aren't.

Many of the leaders are dead.

Slaughtered outside their tent, or burnt to death inside of it.

Women, men and most horrible of all, children are dead.

Little ones hardly started out in life.

And they're gone.

Their lives stolen from them.

I suspect many more were taken by the raiders.

I'm just glad we managed to keep the children we'd been told to look after safe, but it isn't enough when I see an old man pick up a small child and carry it to the funeral pyre.


	53. Chapter 53

**Celebrations (Rocky)**

After the hunt, we start to slaughter the aurochs, cutting along their bellies from mouth to anus, to remove their hide and then chopping up the meat into large chunks.

We set up camp at the edge of the grasslands whilst we're doing that, surrounded ourselves with numerous fires that will keep animals away. Still a wolverine, or two, take their chances and get pass the fires, and try to make off with some of our meat.

Their furs make wonderful hoods for children.

Willow puts a whole leg on a spit over a central fire, so we can smell it roasting as we work.

Once most of the aurochs have been cut up, we start to slice the meat into small bits, which are put on sticks to dry.

It's hard work, and oh so hot, but when we see the blood dry up in the meat so we can pack it in our backpacks, its well worth it.

It takes ages though.

We stop halfway for dinner.

The leg of auroch, which is wonderful.

Willow has made a stew with the wolverine meat, filled with wild carrots and onions, and even a little grain to soak up the liquid and make it thick.

We sit around eating, and talking, laughing.

Someone passes around a bladder of Boozing, though we are warned to only drink a little, we still have lots of work to do.

Still, it's a good time.

Me and the other hunters.

Together.

Enjoying our food, that we killed ourselves.

And savouring each other's' company.

And because of what I did, saving Willow from at least a life changing injury, and probably death, I'm the hero of the night.

I feel brilliant

Life is so good.

I smile as I imagine the crowds cheering me as we get back to the summer meeting.

My parents are going to be so proud of me.


	54. Chapter 54

**White Ash (Storm)**

I spend the night outside with the majority of my people, huddled together for warmth because the raiders don't allow us a fire.

Or hides.

And it's really cold.

So cold that I cannot help shivering.

So when the sun rises the next day, I am happy.

For a while.

Until we're pushed in front of the raider's cave and their leader comes out.

He's tall, dressed in a brown tunic and baggy leggings, tucked into hide boots from which hangs feathers. His hair is black and love, tied back by a thin cord. There's a streak of white hair running next to his face that seems to move like a snake in the gentle breeze.

And a scar running from his ear to ear, across the top of his eyes.

Which are green.

But there's something about them.

They're hard.

Almost sharp.

They seem to cut into me.

Right into my spirit.

As if he can see what makes me who I am.

As if he can change me.

Control me.

I don't like that.

I don't like it at all.

Does he have that effect on everyone?

Does he do it on purpose?

I watch as he grins.

I think he does.

And then he starts to speak. 'Hello and welcome slaves,' he says. 'My name is Zort, and you are now the property of the White Ash.'


	55. Chapter 55

The Pyre (Violet)

It takes all day for the bodies to be picked up and taken to the pyre.

Each body is noted.

A mark for the dead put on the caves' sacred stones that each leader brings to the summer meeting each year, and places them in the sacred cairn, only to be removed when the time comes to leave.

Thankfully the raiders didn't find it.

Each stone represents a family and is marked with their emblem, a swirl, a scratch, a round. Underneath each emblem is marked the sign of the dead person, a leaf, a river, an animal along with lines to show how old they were.

So it takes a long time.

Because those that have been taken, and the hunters will want to know what happened to their families.

And we can't hold off burning the bodies on the pyre, because dead bodies bring spirits of illness.

And while the bodies are burning, a man steps forward.

He opens his arms wide, and throws off the fur he was wearing to reveal a body painted with ochre, including the only piece of clothing he's wearing, a breechcloth.

He starts to sing.

'Spirit, the Father of all, hear me now, hear my call, come for your people who did fall to the evil raiders, the wielders of war. Don't let the spirits take them, into their thrall, where the winds blow hard, and all is a squall, take them to your kingdom, surrounded by your wall, where they'll have what they need, and never need more.'

He dances around the pyre as he sings, repeating his words over and over until everyone else joins him.

We dance until dawn and then collapse on the ground and sleep.


	56. Chapter 56

**Back to the Summer Meeting (Rocky)**

We wake early the next day, and pack up our belongings into backpacks together to allow more room for the meat.

I am given a backpack of meat to carry, the meat dragging the straps down on my shoulders.

We all carry our spears, looking out for trouble, but those carrying meat like me walk in the middle of the procession of hunters, guarded at the front and back by those carrying our belongings.

They have a lighter load so they can move easily if they are needed.

A few of them move up and down alongside us, stopping to talk to one for a while and then going further down the line to chat to another.

And always keeping an eye on the trees we're walking through.

It's hard work carrying this backpack, and I'm also finding the walk hard, though I'm estatic about my involvement in the hunt, and saving Willow's neck, so I don't feel so tired as I did on the way to the hunt.

Or maybe I'm just getting stronger.

So by late afternoon, when we start approaching the location of the summer meeting, I know that I will be able to enjoy the way the crowd runs to us to cheer our success, and the party afterward.

But that doesn't happen.

When we reach the last of the trees, and step out into the start of the clearing where only a few days before the crowds had carried me, there's no one.

Not a single person.

No one runs up to us to give us the flower crowns that they usually do.

No one shouts.

No one cheers.

All is quiet.

Willow frowns. She's been walking next to me for a while, one of those guarding everyone else, but now she runs ahead.

'What's going on?' I hear someone say behind me. 'Why aren't we being rushed?'

'Maybe they're all waiting for us at the clearing,' another one says.

But I don't know. It's dusk now, but I can't see any lights from the torches and fires that are usually so numerous.

But I can't see anything.

Not yet anyway.

We walk closer, and with each step I feel anxiety winding up, like the coiling of a rope, but deep within my stomach.

Within my chest.

I take a deep breath, try to concentrate on my breathing as I think of all the faces of my loved ones.

And then I let it out when I see the flicker of a fire. Grin at how stupid I was.

Of course everyone's okay.

Nothing's happened.

I turn around to smile at the fellow hunters but then I see Willow running back to us followed by a couple of the leaders.

They stop in front of us.

Pant to get their breaths.

'Raiders,' Willow says.

I frown.

Raiders? What are raiders?

'Is everyone…' one of the hunters asks. 'Is my wife…'

I turn and glance at him.

And then realise what he is asking.

Raiders.

Raiding.

A raid.

The summer meeting has been raided.

'I don't know,' Willow says. She turns to look at the two with her. 'Is Bark's wife all right? Pansy?'

One of the leaders shrugs.

'Many are dead,' the other says. 'I don't know if…'

Dead?

My parents. My brother and sister.

I start running.

Joined by the other hunters as they run next to me.

All desperate.

Hoping that our loved ones are still all right.

We reach the camp, and see the ash that used to be tents.

I run pass them, heading to the tent of my people.

It too has been burnt.

I stare at the ash, see a hide doll.

Fall down onto my knees in the ash, causing it to gust up at me and cover me.

I pick up the doll.

Crush it to my chest.

'Petal,' I sob.

That's when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

But I'm too caught up in my grief to care.

I squeeze my eyes tight as waves of pain roll within me.

'Rocky,' a voice says, and I sense the shadow of the person who touched me, move in front of me. 'Rocky.'

I open my eyes.

Stare.

Into the blue eyes of my adopted mother.

'Petal,' I sob, holding up the doll.

'Is fine,' she says.

The pain within me is too great to understand her words straight away. I look back at the doll.

'It isn't hers,' my mother says. 'Petal is okay Rocky. So is Tree.'

I look up at her. 'They are?'

'Yes,' she says.

'And Thunder?'

She nods. 'He will be here soon.'

I smile.

Reach out to grab her.

My arms go right through her.

'I wasn't so lucky,' she says.

'Lucky?'

'I'm dead Rocky. A raider caught me and cut open my stomach and left me to die.'

I look down at her stomach.

Looks okay to me.

'I am a spirit.'

I stare at her, and then as what she's said flickers in my brain, I realise what she's just said.

'How can you be a spirit?' I ask. 'You touched me.'

'I did,' she responds. 'But I am only able to do that because you were upset and I love you so much.'

I reach out a hand to touch her face that has a tear rolling over the cheek.

My hand only finds air.

'You're a spirit?'

She nods her head.

My mother is a spirit and spirits are…

I lurch away from her, falling on my bottom and push my legs to get away.

'Get away from me spirit,' I shout.

She comes toward me, floating slightly above the ash. 'I not going to hurt you Rocky,' she says. 'I'm going to help you.'


	57. Chapter 57

Tulip! (Storm)

Another early morning meeting with the leader of the White Ash and once again, Tulip is moaning.

'I don't want to,' she wails, crossing her arms across her chest. 'The latrines are dirty and I'm too…'

'You will do as you are told,' the leader says. 'You are just a slave.'

'No I'm not,' she says. 'I'm too special for that. Send one of the others. They're used to slumming it anyway.'

'So you would rather your fellow slaves did your work?'

She nods. 'Of course. It's only right. I am the main young woman after all, of the…'

'The Summer Meeting has finished for you,' the leader sneers. 'All of them. You are now the property of the White Ash and will do what you are told.'

'But the latrines are disgusting. Full of…' she shudders. 'I'm not going to clean them.' She looks around and points at a girl standing nearby. 'Make Rainbow clean them.'

The leader marches over to Tulip. Stands in front of her.

Glares at her.

She glares right back at him.

Stamps her foot.

'I will not clean them,' she says.

He shakes his head. 'You are the most stubborn girl I have ever met in my life. You think you are too good for a bit of work, well you're not. This is your last chance to obey me, and do what you've been told to do.'

Tulip laughs. 'Or what?'

'I could have you beaten.'

She shudders, looks at the ground and then back up at him. 'No you won't. I've seen you looking at me, admiring me, you think I'm pretty. You won't beat me and mar my beauty.'

'Admiring you?' he raises an eyebrow. 'If I've watched you, it is to make sure you are doing what you have been told to do.'

'Yeah right,' she reaches out a hand to touch his arm, but then stops.

Obviously thinks better of it.

'You are as attractive as a snake in the grass,' he says.

Tulip's lips twitch. 'I am not a snake.'

'No, you're not. Even a snake knows when it's beaten and will sliver away. You though…' he sighs.

Tulip smirks.

She thinks she's won.

I'm not so certain she has.

'So are you going to beat me or not?' she asks. 'Because I'm not going to…'

'Enough,' the leader shouts. 'I have heard enough. If you will not do what you've been told to do then I have no alternative that to punish.'

'I'm not going to clean them.'

'Fine. Guards, take this slave to the cage.'

The cage.

It's been built since we've been here.

By others of our people.

Tree branches tied together with vine to create an enclosure.

That surrounds a person so they've got no way out.

But the sun, the rain, the wind is able to get through to them.

It hasn't been used yet.

Not until now.

'No,' Tulip shrieks. 'You can't put me in there. I'll get sunburn.'

'So what do you suggest?' the leader asks.

Tulip looks up at him for a moment and then snorts. 'Put one of the other slaves in it instead of me. They can take my punishment.'

'And how would it be your punishment if another took it?'

She shrugs. 'I don't know, but I'm not going to go in there. Put Rainbow in there.'

'You would allow another to suffer for your crimes?'

'Yes.'

He shakes his head.

She grins.

And then he snaps his fingers.

The guards don't go for Tulip, they walk around her.

Pass her.

Head toward where Rainbow is standing.

The girl shudders and starts to cry. Tries to hide behind a woman.

The guards walk right up to her.

And take the woman.

The woman who is Tulip's mother.

They're putting Tulip's mother in the cage.

'No. Not her,' Tulip wails. 'Put the girl in the cage. Not the woman. Leave my mother alone.' She steps closer to the leader and tries to hit him.

He grabs her wrist and forces her to her knees. 'You have to learn that you are a slave and if you do not do what you are told to do then there will be punishments.'

'But…'

Tulip's mother is dragged screaming toward the cage. 'You should have just cleaned the latrines as he told you to,' she moans.

Tulip's face hardens. She scowls. 'I am never going to clean the latrines,' she says slowly, each word defined so that everyone will get the message. 'Never.'

'Then your mother will suffer for your disobedience.'

She shrugs.

'Last chance.'

Tulip glances at where the guards are shutting the door of the cage. Tying it shut. 'She'll be all right. Better her than me in that cage. Her skin is wrecked anyway.'

'Tulip?' her mother wails.

'And that is your final word?'

She nods.

'Okay,' he turns to the guards. 'Fire the cage.'


	58. Chapter 58

**What's going to happen? (Violet)**

'What do you think this meeting is about?' I ask my mother as we walk to the leaders' tent.

The leaders, those that are left, have called this meeting, and told all the survivors to congregate.

'I guess it's about what is going to happen now,' she responds.

I nod. I'd already guessed that.

A man rushes up to us, and I realise that it is Rocky, Petal and Tree's father, Thunder. He pushes his youngest two children toward us. 'Can you look after these two for me,' he pants. 'The lookouts have just come and told us that the hunters have returned. I must find Rocky before someone tells him...'

'Of course,' my mother says, and gathers the two, tearful children to her.

I don't think they know that their mother is gone yet.

But I think they suspect that something has happened to her.

'Are you going to come and sit with us in the leaders' tent?' I ask, crouching down and holding their hands.

'Where's mama?' Petal asks, and then puts her thumb in her mouth.

I can't answer that. How can I answer that? It's up to Thunder to tell them, and for him to decide when it is the right time, not me.

'I don't know. Come on anyway.' I put my hand in my pocket and pull out a hide wrapped parcel.

My lunch.

I open it, and show them the two grain cakes, laced with honey and fruit.

'One for Petal and one for Tree,' I say.

Little hands reach forward and take a cake each and then we walk with the children to the leaders' meeting.

Inside, people are shouting.

'We don't want to stay here,' one man says. 'This isn't our home. We want to go back to our own caves.'

There's a leader standing at the top of the tent, Lightning, he lifts his hands up and waits until the group quiet.

'I know,' he says. 'Really, I do. I know that you all want to go home. I want to go home too. But we can't. It's too dangerous.'

'Why is it dangerous?' the man shouts. 'My cave wasn't hit as badly as some. There are quite a few of us left. Definitely enough to last through the winter months. Why can't we go back?'

'Maybe your cave could survive, though I think you are wrong about that. Yes, you weren't hit as badly, but over half your cave have either died or been taken. I think you would find life far harder than you think. Plus there are caves, where only a few remain, and they too want to go back to their homes. They would never survive.'

'Well, they could go and live at the caves with the most survivors.'

'Maybe, but what if they don't want to. How is it fair if we allow some to go home, and not others?'

'So we all have to stay? Is the cave even big enough for us all?'

Lightning shakes his head. 'No, but there's another not far from here that could be used. It's big with many chambers, and most importantly, far enough away from this summer camp that the raiders' might not find us. It hasn't been used for years, so it should hopefully be safe. Plus with all of us together, and the hunters, we should be able to protect ourselves if they try to attack.'

'So now you are suggesting we move into a cave that's probably dirty just to stay safe? That is ludicrous.'

'Why?'

'Well, for a start, there are probably bugs and spiders. What if they're poisonous ones?'

'The cave will be cleaned out. And as to bugs and spiders? If your caves have managed to eliminate them, then that is an outstanding achievement. All caves have them.'

'But…'

'Enough,' Lightning says. 'Arguing is futile. For the safety of those left, the leaders' have already decided that this winter we will all live in the cave. Over the next weeks, small groups will go out and hunt or gather food, and some will go back to their caves, to bring back what will be needed for the winter. Now unless there is anything else to discuss, we will close this meeting and go and meet the hunters.'

'What about those that were taken?' the man asks. 'If they were bought back, then most caves would have enough people to survive through the winter.'

Lightning nods his head. 'That is true, but we have decided that it is too dangerous.'

'What?'

I can't help myself. I've been listening quietly, having sat down and pulled Petal on my knee, but now?

No.

'We have to rescue them.' I say. I pass Petal to my mother and stand up. 'Goodness knows what is happening to them. We can't just let it happen. We have to find them and bring them back.'

Lightning sighs. 'In an ideal circumstance, yes of course we would want to rescue them, but it is quite impossible. We have to think about the survival of those that are left.'

'But…'

'They are gone, all right. Gone, and won't be coming back. They are lost to us as much as those that were killed. In fact, we should consider them dead.

'But your wife and daughter were taken…'

Lightning tilts his head to one side. 'I am well aware of that young lady. I don't need telling. And of course, I will miss them. But they're dead to me now. I can only think about the living.'

I shake my head.

He can only think of the living? And forget about his own family?

Disgust wells up within me.

And I can see that others feel the same way as me.

All around us, people are standing up.

Glaring at Lightning.

'How can you say they are dead?' a woman shouts, a red faced, screaming baby in her arms. 'My husband was taken. We've only been married a year. How am I to live if he isn't there to look after me? After us?'

'You will be provided for,' Lightning says.

'And who's going to hold me at night?'

'Well, that young woman…'

'I will,' says one of the young men. First year like me. 'I'll hold you good and strong.' He snorts.

The woman twists her head to look at him.

She looks like a rabbit about to be killed.

And then sits down.

Mumbles to herself. 'I just want my husband. I want my Panther.'

'We all have relatives and friends that were taken,' the man who was arguing with Lightning when we entered the tent, says. 'We can't just forget them.'

'And yet, for our survival, we must,' Lightning says.

'Our survival? If they were found and bought back, then we'd be able to go back to our own caves. We need those taken to survive.'

'It is too dangerous.'

'And how much more dangerous is it to do nothing? Those raiders could come back at any time and kill the rest of us. We need to attack them before they attack us again.'

Lightning shakes his head. 'This argument is pointless.'

'Our people aren't pointless.'

'No, but they are gone. We have to consider them dead to us, or we'll go crazy.'

'You're just a coward. All the leaders who agree to not at least try to rescue those taken are cowards,' the man hisses and then spits at Lightning's feet.

'No, we aren't cowards, we are just realistic. They are gone, they can't be rescued.'

'Why?'

'Because the raiders left no tracks.'


	59. Chapter 59

**Flames (Tulip)**

I frown.

Fire?

Fire the cage?

What does that mean?

I glance at my mother, standing with her fingers curled around the thin branches that criss cross to make the cage.

Her face is pale.

She looks like she's sweating.

And her eyes don't look at me.

They look somewhere else.

I look in the direction she's looking.

And see?

A man.

He's holding an unlit torch.

At least, it's unlit until he plunges it into the fire.

And the holding it up, flames flickering at the top, he starts to walk.

Toward my mother.

Who is shaking her head.

And looks even more pale.

But why?

And then I know.

'No,' I scream. 'No, please. Don't burn my mother.' I grab hold of the bottom of the leader's leggings. Look up at him. 'Please. I'll do anything. Just don't hurt my mother.'

'Anything?'

I glance back at my mother. She's now standing at the back of the cave. As far away from the man carrying the burning torch as she can.

Then I look back at the leader.

Who's smirking.

'You will do anything?'

'Yes, anything.'

'Okay, kiss my toes.'

His toes are revolting, hairy, covered in caluses, a wart on more than one of them. And his toe nails are encrusted with dirt.

I delicately kiss the least objectionable toe. 'I've done what you ask, will you let my mother go?'

'Not yet. Kiss my toes again. But this time, kiss my big toe on my right foot. Right where that weeping wart is.'

I shudder and kiss it. Wipe my lips afterward.

Then I look over at my mother. The man is standing next to the cage, waiting for the leader's instructions.

'That's not nice,' rhe leader says.

I jerk my head to look at him.

'You shouldn't have wiped your lips.'

'I'm sorry. Do you want me to kiss it again?'

He stares at me and then shakes his head.

I feel relief.

'It's too late,' he looks over at the cage. 'Set fire to it,' he tells the man.

'No, please. Don't.' I look back at the leader. 'Please. I will do whatever you tell me to do. I'll clean the latrines. I'll roll in them if you want but please don't hurt my mother.'

'Too late.'

'Please.' I can feel hot tears falling down my chest but I don't care.

I don't care about anything but my mother.

'Please, don't hurt her. Please.'

'What about...'

'Anything.'

'You take her place?'

'I...'

'Well?'

I look at my mother who's shaking her head. 'Don't,' she mouths.

I can't let my mother die.

'Yes.'

'Well, I'm not going to let you.' He nods at the man.

Who sticks the burning torch into the dried grass sticking out of the bottom of the cage.

The dried grass my mother is stood on.

It starts to crackle.

And then there is a flame.

'Mummy,' I scream, pushing myself away from the leader. I run over to the cage. 'Mummy,'

'My little girl,' she coughs.

I reach out a hand to her.

Feel the heat of the flames on it.

I don't care.

'Mummy, I'm sorry,' I sob.

She steps around the flames and grabs my hand.

Squeezes it

Kisses it

And then pushes it out of the cage.

I use my other hand to stroke her hair.

'I love you,' I say, tears pooling over my tunic. 'I love you mummy. I love you so much and I'm sorry. I wish I'd just done what they told me to do. I wish I hadn't argued. You're going to die and it's my all my fault.'. I choke. 'I'm your murderer.'

'Hush,' she says. 'Everyone dies. Today is my turn.'

'But...'

The flames are licking at the back of her legs now, crawling up her leggings.

'Get away from the cage Tulip.'

'What? No.' I shake my head. 'I'm staying with you.'

'No, you're not. I won't allow you to stay.'

'But I can't leave you. You're my mummy. I want to stay with you. I'd rather die than live without you.'

'Don't be riduculous,' she says and then steps back into the flames.

'No,' I scream as they engulf her. I reach out my arms trying to reach her. Wanting to pull her away from the fire. Save her. 'Mummy.'

I feel arms around my waist. Someone dragging me away from the cage.

I kick out at them.

'I'm sorry,' a voice says.

I glance behind me. See Storm. Glance back at the cage which is now a raging fire with a little bundle in the middle.

A little unmoving bundle lying in the centre of the cage.

A body.

A burnt, dead or dying body.

My mother.

I killed my mother.

I fall to my knees and am sick.


	60. Chapter 60

**Spirit (Rocky)**

I'm talking to my mother when I hear the sound of running feet coming closer.

She smiles. 'Thunder is coming,' she says.

And yes, it is Thunder. He looks at me with a face showing a mix of emotions on it.

Worry battles with fear but is overshadowed by sadness.

'Rocky,' he says.

'Thunder.' I rush toward him and hug him.

'You are back.'

'Yes.'

'And the hunt was good?'

'Yes.'

He leads me to a fallen log.

I remember my mother liked to sit on it to enjoy the early evening air after a hard day's work.

Now it's clogged with ash and the lingering smell of smoke and roasted...

We sit down.

He touches my hands and smiles sadly. 'I have something to tell you.'

'I already know.'

'What?'

'I already know about mother. I know that she's dead.'

'Who told you? Oh Rocky, I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you myself. Not that it would lessen the blow.'

'She told me.'

He arches an eyebrow. 'She?'

'Mother.'

He blinks. 'Mother is dead.'

'Yes.'

'She can't tell you anything.'

'And yet she did. She told me exactly how she'd died.'

He shakes his head.

'She's standing over there.' I turn and smile at her.

She smiles back.

Thunder turns around. 'Where?'

'There,' I point to where mother is floating above the ash of what was a tent.

'I can't see anyone.'

'You can't?'

'No.' He touches my forehead. 'You're not feverish.'

'I'm not imagining her.'

'You must be. She's dead. Gone.'

'No, she's right there.'

'Well if she's there and has told you how she died, tell me.'

'Her stomach was cut open and her insides fell out and the raider left her to bleed to death all alone.'

'Alone,' he wipes a tear from his eye. 'How do you know how she died? I found her and wrapped her in a hide so no one else would know.'

'She told me.'

He sighs.

We sit for a while. Not saying anything. Mother comes and sits next to him but he doesn't show any sign of knowing she's there.

'Only you know I'm here,' she says. 'Only you can see me?'

'Why?'

Thunder looks at me. 'It was raiders, he says. 'I'd gone to the young women's tent to see Petal and Tree. Your mother was worried about them. Said something was wrong and she wanted to know they were all right.'

'She was right.'

He nods. 'Yes, she was. Anyway, when I got there, I found out that some of the young women had taken them out to gather berries. I went to look for them but went to the wrong berry patch. I searched for them for a long time, looking further and further from the camp. I was still looking for them when dusk fell. I was too far away to realise what was happening here.'

'But they're all right?'

'Petal and Tree? Yes, they're fine, though I haven't told them yet about their mother. I was waiting for you to get back.'

I sigh. 'That's going to be hard.'

'It is.'

'So how many others are dead?'

'A lot.'

'What about Storm?'

'His body wasn't amongst the dead.'

'He was taken,' mother says. 'The raider that killed me took him.'

'Taken?'

Thunder looks at me. 'Yes, I think he was probably taken. Many were.'

'How are we going to get them back?'

He shakes his head. 'We can't. There are no tracks to follow. I've looked. Others of the older hunters have looked. As impossible as it is, with them taking so many people, they left no sign of the way they went. Their prints end at the clearing and there aren't anymore after that. It is almost like they just disappeared. One moment there and the next gone.'

'But...'

He shrugs. 'I don't understand it.'

'I do,' Mother says. 'The spirits are involved.'


	61. Chapter 61

**Ash (Storm)**

She stares at the pile of ash that was once the cage with her mother within it.

The fires gone out now.

The ashes cold and blowing in the wind.

She steps into them.

Stares at the burnt remains that are all that remains of her mother.

'I am truly wicked.' She says. 'I'm evil. I killed my mother. I'm her murderer.'

She falls on her knees and stares at her mother.

I'm the only one outside now, the only one with her. Everyone else has gone about their duties now, or are in the cave.

She turns around to look at me.

'You should go.'

Snippy Tulip. I see she's about to get back to her normal state of disgust for everyone else.

But I shake my head. I will not leave her.

'Look,' she waves a hand toward where her mother is lying. 'Look what happens to those that come near me. You need to leave me. Get away from me.'

Maybe not going back. She doesn't want me near her because she's scared the same will happen to me?

I shake my head. 'No, I'm not going to leave you.'

She looks at her hands.

They must be painful. I can see from where I am that they are slightly burnt.

'You should get your hands…'

'No. They are fine,' she says. 'They don't hurt at all. After what happened to my mother, I have no right to complain about a silly burn.'

Her hands are covered in ashes too, as are her clothes. Her face is soot stained, two white trails running from her eyes down over her cheeks.

She looks a state.

She could probably scare small children at the moment.

But she's still beautiful to me.

Sitting there, surrounded by ashes, staring at her mother's corpse.

She starts to cry again.

I edge over to her.

'Keep away,' she sobs. 'You should stay away from me. I'll only bring you trouble. I bring everyone trouble. I bought it to my own mother.'

I ignore her and put a hand on her shoulder.

'Don't touch me.'

I take my hand away. 'Sorry,' I apologise.

'There is something very evil about me,' she says, looking around at me. 'You shouldn't touch things that are evil.'

'You're not evil.'

She laughs. 'Yes I am. I killed my mother.'

'No you didn't. The raiders killed your mother.'

'Because of me. Because of my disobedience. Because I thought I was too good to do what they told me.'

'You shouldn't think like that. Yes, you refused to do what they wanted but their punishment was…' I shake his head.

'They should have burnt me.'

'No,' I object. 'No.'

'Yes. Me. Not my mother. Me. I was the one who disobeyed. I should have been the one punished. I wish they'd killed me.'

I reach out and touch the unburnt finger of one hand.

She flinches. 'I'm evil.'

'No, you're not,' I say, squeezes the finger gently. 'They are evil.'

She shakes her head. 'No, I am. And not just today. But before. I have been evil for a long time now. Getting worse each day.'

'You have never been evil.'

'I was a cow though.'

I can't argue with that.

'Like the way I treated you back at the summer meeting before the raiders came. I was horrible.' She looks at my hand holding her finger and then glances at my face. 'I'm sorry.'

'Sorry?'

'For the way I was. To you back then.'

'It's okay. You were upset that Rocky…'

She shakes her head. 'I wasn't upset, I was annoyed. I thought I was better than you. Thought I was better than everyone. Just because I was the main young woman of the summer meeting.'

She laughs, a horrible sound, filled with tears and snot, and disgust I think.

'I shouldn't even have been the main young woman. Violet should have won. She would have done. If I hadn't…'

'What?'

She sighs. 'The pie. The mince meat pie.'

I smile, trying to be kind to her. 'I really enjoyed what I ate of it. It was delicious, and so unusual. I'd never eaten anything like it before.'

She nods.

'Baked by a dead woman.'

I squeeze her finger. 'You're not dead.'

'No, but she is,' she waves a hand toward her mother's burnt body. 'And she made the pie, not me. Her. Got her to make it for me. Pretended to make it. I made this disgusting thing that I'm sure was poisonous. My mother buried it. No, that pie you ate. My mother made it. I just pretended to have made it. So I could beat Violet.'

'But why?'

'Because she was everything I wanted to be. Good, kind, clever. She always did everything right. Anything she tried to do, she did well. I was jealous. I wanted to beat her. So I got my mother to help me, and my father to agree. I cheated. I am disgusting.'

But right now, after all that's happened, I can't chastise her. I think she wants me to. Wants me to turn horror filled eyes at her. She wants me to be so repulsed at her that I never want to go near her again.

But I'm not going to.

Not today.

Not after everything that's happened today.

I squeeze her finger. 'That is in the past,' I say. 'It doesn't matter.'


	62. Chapter 62

**Dark (Violet)**

It's dark outside but that's all right, it means I can slip into the night without anyone seeing me.

And I don't want anyone to see me because they'd stop me.

And I have to do this.

I have to.

I have to at least try.

To find them.

To find my cousin.

Rain.

My intended.

Not.

Not my intended but he was.

But all the ideas of becoming an adult and getting married is nothing campared to friendship.

And Rain is my friend.

And I love him.

I have to find him.

So I'm going to leave the summer meeting and I'm going to find the tracks that they must have left.

I don't believe there are none.

Lightning must be lying.

Or too lazy to look.

Or too scared.

That many people being dragged away, they must have left something that can point the way I need to go.

I creep pass the leaders' tent and edge around the ash from burnt out tents.

I walk as quietly as I can.

Especially as I approach the edge of the clearing.

Where the guards are.

I see one up ahead and crouch down, almost crawing on the ground.

But he's staring toward the trees.

Not to where I am.

He doesn't see me.

And then I slip into the forest.


	63. Chapter 63

**Slave (Storm)**

It's early when I wake.

The sky is still dark above me.

But I can't sleep anymore.

Though it isn't because I'm raring to start my day.

It's more to do with the kick in my side and the raucous voice whispering in my ear that makes me get up.

I rub my eyes, straighten my tunic and stand up.

Stretch and yawn.

And then get to work.

And my first job of the day is to clean all the hearth fires, relay them and light them.

Starting with the cooking fire in the large area in the middle of the cave.

I walk through the mouth of the cave.

Blink while my eyes adjust to the dark.

And then go to the cooking fire.

I lift the big cooking pots, putting them to the side of the hearth, making sure that the food within them doesn't spill, leftovers from the raiders' stew of last night.

We were given water and a thin grainy liquid.

Which was bland.

I wish I could have some of the stew but it isn't for me.

Goodness knows what they'd do if I ate some.

With the pots out of the way, I use a thin branch to scrape the ashes from the hearth and then start to lay it.

And it's then I hear them.

The cooking hearth is near to where the leader sleeps.

Except he isn't asleep now.

He's awake.

And talking to someone.

I listen to them as I work.

'Today we need to sort the slaves so we're all ready to leave tomorrow.'

'Are the usual going or have you found...'

'Yes, all those thirty and under, except of course for a few who will remain our slaves.'

'And what about the girl?'

'Her?' The leader snorts. 'As much as I wish we could get rid of her, if we traded her, no one would barter with us again. Maybe once her spirit has been broken...'

'You don't think you broke it yesterday. She was devastated about her mother.'

'I think it's best to wait and see how she is. If she starts to behave herself, then at next full moon I might trade her. She is pretty.'

'And if she doesn't?'

The leader laughs. I'm sure we'll find somewhere for her to go.'

I stand up and move the cooking pots back over the now lit cooking hearth do the stew can cook. I fill another pot with water and put that too over the fire to heat.

And then I move onto the next hearth.

All the while thinking about what I'd heard.

We are going to be traded like my people trade goods and food.

At least those thirty and under are.

Goodness knows what's going to happen to those older than that.


	64. Chapter 64

**Old (Rocky)**

'So are the raiders spirits?'

Mother shakes her head. 'No, not spirits but there is something strange about them, they're not dead but not really alive either. Well they have hearts that beat but they are not really part of our world. They were removed from it.' She gasps. 'A long time ago. They are old, oh so old but always stay the age they were when they first entered the other place. They don't age. They can't age. But they can enter our world at any time. And because of where they've been, they are hidden. That's why there are no tracks, they're hidden. Changed.'

'Can you see them? You could lead us to them so we can rescue...'

'No, I am only a human spirit. They are protected by beings so different to us. I can sense they're not far, probably less than a day's walk but...'

'If they're so near, then we could just send out a search party. They'd be found in the end.' I grin. 'I should tell Thunder.'

'You would never find them. They're hidden. Your eyes would see their camp but your brain wouldn't be able to understand what they saw. The other beings, their power, trick the mind into thinking you've seen something else. Your eyes would see the raiders' camp but your brain would make you think you were looking at a lake.'

'Well we'll look for lakes then,' I laugh.

'Or a valley. Or a tree. Or the river. Or a hundred other things, all perfectly normal things that you'll never see pass.'

'So what are we going to do then?'

'You need help.'

'Well, yeah.'

'Do you remember before the summer meeting you said you wanted to go see that old woman? The one that lives in a cave by the sea and can tell anyone anything.'

I nod. 'I wanted her to tell me who my people are.' I gasp. 'What if...?'

'You didn't come from the raiders. You came from further away.' She blinks. 'You came from far further away than we thought. So far away that a young child should have died in that river. But you had help.'

'Help?'

She smiles. 'Spirits. Not human spirits but ones similar to those helping the raiders. But they are good spirits. They held your head out of the water so you didn't...' She shudders. And then frowns. 'Oh my son,' she says. 'My precious Rocky.'

'What?'

She shakes her head.

'Please. Tell me.'

'No, I can't. It is not for me to tell you. I am only a human spirit. I can sense things but only a shadow of the truth.'

'Shadow of the truth?'

'I don't understand what I see. You must go to the old woman. She'll be able to help you. Now, you must get your belongings together. It is time to go.'

'Now?'

She nods.

'I will go and tell Thunder then. So he can organise a group to go with us.'

'No, you can't tell Thunder.'

'Why? Will he not want to go?'

She shrugs. 'Whether he would want to go doesn't matter. If you search for the woman with adults, you will never find her. Only those on the cusp between childhood and adulthood are able to find her.'

'So I've got to go alone?'

''I will be with you.'

'But I thought you said...' I sigh. 'You're an adult.'

'I'm a spirit too.'

'Oh,' I respond, rather lamely.

'You need to hurry.'

I nod. 'The sooner we set off, the sooner we find the old woman?'

'No, you need to hurry because your other travelling companion is about to get herself in trouble.'


	65. Chapter 65

**Leave me alone (Tulip)**

'Zor,' a voice calls through my sleep.

'Leave me alone. My mother's dead.'

'No,' the insistent voice says. 'They want everyone outside.'

I open my eyes and see my fellow slave. The one called Zar whose real name is Jalana.' 'What do you want?' I groan.

My head feels like its full of fur and it hurts.

'The leader wants everyone outside.'

'What? Again?'

'Yes, again.' She pulls the old threadbare hide I've been using to sleep under. 'Get up or they'll be trouble.'

'What can they do to me? They've already killed my mother.'

'What about your friend? Storm?'

I sit up. 'They wouldn't hurt him too would they?'

'Yes, they would.' She sighs. 'Yesterday wasn't the only time I've seen them burn someone to death many times. It's one of their favourite punishments.'

I stand up. 'It is?'

She nods.

And she looks so sad.

'You need to hurry. Come on.'

I go to run my fingers through my hair, an automatic thing I've done on waking the whole of my life.

And then lower my arms.

Not today.

Not ever.

I don't care about how I look now.

You should get changed. That tunic is covered in soot. And your face...'

I shrug. 'There isn't time.'

I follow her out into the bright sunshine, blinking until my eyes adjust. We walk over to my people assembled in one large group.

'I'll see you later,' she says and she walks to the small group of slaves that were already here when we arrived. 'I hope,' I'm sure she says before she reaches them.

Hope? Why would she hope? I will see her later, won't I?

I don't have time to think about what she said though because at that moment, the leader comes striding from the cave and heads over to us.

'All those over thirty, move over there,' he says, pointing to a spot by the river.

I watch as old men and women are helped by the middle aged. Some have little kids with them.

'Leave your children,' the leader barks.

A man not far over thirty frowns. He's holding a very small child and the woman next to him is holding one even younger. 'They're our children,' he argues. 'Where we go, they go.'

'Not anymore,' the leader says, snapping his fingers.

Two of the raiders run up to him.

'Take all the children from the older group,' he says.

They run forward, more raiders behind them.

'No,' the mother of the baby screams as it is dragged from her arms.

The raider who takes it ignores her and walks over to us. Plonks the baby in my arms.

It smells of milk and wet hide.

Revolting.

Well until it stops crying and smiles at me.

I don't have time to smile back though as within moments, it is snatched out of my arms by a female raider.

'I'll have this one,' she says, holding it up high so it wails.

Other raiders come forward and pick one or two of my people. Mothers are separated from daughters. Husbands from wives. Sons from fathers.

'What are you doing?' the man just above thirty shouts as he tries to get to his children.

Finally there are just a few left. Me, Storm, the girl called Rainbow who nervously stands as far away from me as she can. A few others. About ten of us. And then the leader steps forward.

He looks at me.

Sneers.

'Too dirty,' he says. 'And far too argumentative.'

He moves away toward a young man standing quietly near Rainbow. 'This one though,' he grabs his arm. 'He seems very meek and mild.'

I recognise him.

He's Violet's cousin.

The one that was his intended.

Rain.

I watch as the leader drags Rain away from us.

'This one will do really well,' he says.

I wonder what he means.

'All slaves chosen by a raider will have the honour of attending a little, let's say, get together tomorrow at dusk,' the leader grins. 'Therefore, we will be leaving early in the morning because it is a long journey.'

'What about our childen?' the man just over thirty says. 'Give us back our children.'

'They are not yours anymore,' the leader says. 'They belong to us, to me, and I will say where they go.'

'No you won't, you b******,' the man screams, kicking out at the raiders.

Who jump him, knock him to the ground and sit on him. Then they tie his hands and feet with vines.'

'Such vitality,' the leader says. 'The spirits will enjoy that.'

'They will indeed,' laughs an old female raider. Zerennia, the woman who claims to own me. 'But son...'

The leader looks at her. 'Yes mother.'

'You are the leader. You get to choose two slaves but you have only picked one.'

He shakes his head. 'No, I've already picked the second.'

He steps forward.

The raiders cheer.

The leader takes Storm.


	66. Chapter 66

**Lost (Violet)**

I'm lost. I don't know where I am. Don't know where I'm going. These trees all look the same. I can't work out the way I walked here. Can't back track. I think I'm walking in circles.

I sit down on a root that sticks high out of the ground, making a perfect platform to sit on.

I know because I sat on it earlier.

Before I tried to find my way.

And found myself back here.

The forest is dark, and only a little moonlight shines through the leaf canopy.

I'm frightened.

Anything could happen to me out here.

For all I know, one of the raiders could be creeping up on me now.

I shudder.

And turn around, glance behind me.

I see nothing.

Only dark.

I only smell damp undergrowth.

And hear, the wind blowing the bushes.

I clutch my spear shooter in my sweaty hands.

A spear notched into it.

Ready.

Ready for what I can't see.

I could almost laugh at how stupid I've been if it wasn't for the fact that I'm in such a dire situation.

All I can do is sit here, or wander around, getting maybe even more lost.

And hope that the night is over, that the sun will rise soon, and I will be able to see.

I hope that I will see a sign that will help me do what I wanted to do.

Find my people.

Or at least, realise what they way back to the summer meeting is.

But I have to wait first.

And it's cold.

I've got summer clothes on.

A short tunic and baggy leggings. A thin jacket.

Short boots laced with twine around my legs.

But I could do with a thicker jacket. Or a hide blanket or fur.

I shiver as a breeze pushes my jacket aside, and blows up my tunic.

And then I hear a crack.

Some distance from me.

But it's the sound of wood snapping. Of someone, or something causing it to snap.

I don't think I'm alone.

I stand up. What am I going to do?

Run.

I'm going to run.

As fast as I can.

Away from whatever is behind me.

Coming for me.


	67. Chapter 67

**Tell us a story (Storm)**

'Tell us a story Storm,' one of the children says that evening.

And I do because I know how scared they all are.

'Do you know that the further North you go in our world, the more the land is covered in ice and snow?'

'Mother always told me that I had to always eat up my food because there are children living on the ice who go to bed hungry,' a boy says. He swallows hard, glancing over to where the older thirties are, and then took a deep breath and tried to smile. 'Is that what you mean?'

'Sort of. The truth is the far North is colder than here and hard to live in. Our summer is only a few months long, and then the snow comes, but the people of the far North, don't get a summer at all. They live by making holes in the ice to catch animals that swim in the cold water underneath. But I'm not going to tell you about them. I'm going to tell the story of how the land turned so cold. There was once a man called Hahno,' I start to weave my tale. 'I do not know where he lived but it was in a cave. The world was different then, the land was greener for one thing and it was warmer. Anyway, one day, Hahno thought he heard a voice. Which told him to build a boat, but not a hollowed out tree, but something more like an wooden tent, but upside down and watertight. Now first of all Hahno ignored the voice, he even went to see a healer about the voices in his head. But eventually he realised that it was real. That something or someone was communicating with him.'

'Who?' a girl asks. 'And what did he do?'

'He asked who the voice was, but the only response he got was that the voice was the creator. The creator of humans, and animals, the sea, rivers and the birds in the air.'

'Amber?'

'No, I don't think so. Anyway, Hahno started to build a boat. But the problem was, he didn't live near the sea, or even a river. He lived in the middle of a dry plain.'

'So why'd he need a boat?'

'Ah, yes, why would he need a boat indeed,' I smiles. 'Building this boat, it caused him some problems. Those he shared his cave with were amazed at what he was doing, but that amazement soon turned into pity which turned into scorn. Soon his people were turning up every day to throw insults at him. As he worked on the boat, they'd shout that he was an idiot, that he was mad. But he ignored them and carried on.'

'I think he sounds stupid,' a little boy says. 'Why would he need a boat if there's no river.'

I snorts. 'Yes, yes, I agree. But you see, building the boat wasn't the end of it. Oh no, not by a long way. For once it was finished, that was when animals started to come. First of all they were only small, a couple of rabbits that managed to run through the legs of the crowd and onto the boat where they cowered in a corner. Hahno started to leave them carrots to eat. And then bigger beasts came, horses, aurochs, a couple of cave lions.'

'Cave lions?' a little girl shudders.

'Yes lions, and all other sorts of animals. Wolves, bears, even a couple of sabre tooth tigers. Day by day, more animals came until the boat was filled. And then the voice said that Hahno and his family should get ready.'

'What for?'

'The rain,' I whisper.  
'Rain?' a boy laughs. 'He built a boat to protect him from a bit of rain?'

I nod. 'But you see, that's just it. It wasn't just a bit of rain. It was a lot. A real lot.'

'Even so.'

'When it started to rain, it didn't stop and it was torrential. So hard did it rain, that it washed through the cave, flushed out the people, flooded the land, and floated Hahno's boat.'

'Wow.'

'It rained like that for forty days and for forty nights. A travelling story teller told me this story, and he had travelled far, from the people in the far North to those that live in the South, and he believed from stories told back to him, that this flood didn't just cover Hahno's land, but the whole world. The rain turned the sea into one large mass that covered all the land. One day though, the rain stopped, and the water receded, but much of the land was still covered. When the weather changed because of what had happened, turning colder, the excess water froze, forming the glaciers that we know today.'

'What if it starts raining again?' a boy asks. 'We will all drown.'

'It won't happen again, you see the voice that had told Hahno to build the boat, the creator that had saved him promised Hahno when he climbed out of the boat, that he would never flood the all the lands again.'

'I wish the creator would save us,' a boy says.

I don't say anything, but I have to admit. I agree with him.

But I don't think there is going to be any escape.

I don't think we can be saved.


	68. Chapter 68

**Hurry! (Rocky)**

'You have to hurry Rocky,' my mother calls back to me as she floats above the grass.

'Shouldn't I get some supplies first?'

'There isn't any time. Run Rocky, you have to run.'

'Why?' I ask, panting as I run as I can.

'She's in danger. You have to...'

'She?'

Come on.'

'You said she.'

'Yes. She is in danger.'

'I haven't even got a weapon. How can I help someone in danger?'

'You will. If you hurry.'

My mother whips ahead of me, heading toward the forest.

I follow her but have to stop when I get a stitch.

She turns. 'Why have you stopped?'

'In pain,' I grimace. 'Got a stitch in my side.'

She floats over to me. 'Where? Which side?'

'My left.'

She reaches out her hand toward me. They seem to flicker. And then I feel tingling down my side, followed by warmth and the stitch is gone.'

'Better?'

'Yes. How did you do that?'

She shrugs. 'I don't know. I just felt compelled to touch your side. The same way I feel compelled now to...'

She doesn't continue speaking. Just sort of envelops me in her arms and then we're moving faster than I ever thought possible.

She speed through the trees, which are a blur to me.

And then we're out of the forest and heading for the cliff.

The top of the cliff.

I know because I've visited the cave holding this yesr's summer meetings a couple of years ago with Thunder. I remember being shown this cliff, and being told to steer clear of the edge.

Which is crumbly and very dangerous.

I was told that sometimes if people go to close, the stone can crumbly under their feet and they fall.

Guess where my mother stops?

Where she puts me done.

Yep, at the edge of the cliff.

I start to push myself away but then I notice the body on a ledge.

A body very close to the edge.

A body that's moving and could fall any time.

A body that's a girl.

A girl I know.

Violet.

'You have to get down there and help her,' my mother says.

I already know that.

I glance at my mother. 'Could you...?'

She shakes her head. 'You have to do this yourself.'

I nod and start to look for the safest way down to Violet.


	69. Chapter 69

**Goodbye (Tulip)**

I watch as the raiders push those under thirty, except for just a few of us, into a large group and tie them together with rope.

As little babies and little kids are put in backframes on the backs of people they do not know.

While their parents scream for them to be bought back.

And then the raiders, using more ropes to hit them, make them start to walk.

I watch as Storm walks in the middle of them.

He's been such a comfort to me since my mother was murdered.

But no more.

I don't think I will ever see him again.

'Wait a minute,' the leader says, as he turns around and faces the cave.

'I've changed my mind.'

He's changed his mind?

I tremble.

What does that mean?

He walks back toward the cave.

Walks up to the over thirty group.

Smiles as a man tries to grab him.

And then walks over to me.

'I've changed my mind,' he says, again. 'I've changed it about this one.'

I step forward. At least if I'm going with the under thirties, I won't be here. I'll be with Storm.

He grins.

'Oh no,' he says, blocking my way. 'You're not coming with us.'

I frown.

'You're too much of a troublemaker. No, you're going to go with them.'

And he points at the older group.

Who aren't going anywhere.

Are they?


	70. Chapter 70

**On the ledge (Violet)**

Whether there was something behind me, or it was just my imagination, I do not know. But what I do know, now, is that it is stupid to just run.

It is stupid to not be careful.

It was still dark when I fell.

I didn't see the edge.

Not until it was too late.

And then I fell.

Down.

I think I knocked myself out.

My head sure does hurt.

And so does the rest of my body.

But…

I don't think I'm seriously hurt.

Just bruises and a few cuts.

And an aching head.

I put my hand to my head, and it comes away wet.

Okay, I am more seriously hurt.

But…

A few stones clatter onto the ledge I'm on, and I look up.

Which is a pretty silly thing to do because I end up with an eyeful of dust.

I try to blink it away, my eye starting to water.

And don't see the bigger rocks bouncing down toward me.

Well, not until they miss my ledge and fall down all the way down to the bottom of the cliff.

I pull my bottom eye lid out, blink a bit more, move my eye carefully in its socket.

And then wipe the grit away from where my tears have washed it to my cheek.

Then I look up again, shielding my eyes this time.

And see something big coming toward me.

Another rock.

It hits my ledge.

And I nearly fall off.

I just manage to grab onto the side of the cliff.

And then I look at the big chunk of ledge that the rock took with it.

'Sorry about that,' a voice says, above me.

I glance up.

And see a pair of legs and a bottom coming toward me.

'I don't think this ledge is…'

I sigh as the owner of the voice stands on my ledge.

Thankfully it holds us.

'Are you all right?' he says, as he crouches down next to me.

'Yes,' I say. 'But you could have killed the pair of us.'

Like I've got room to talk.

'Pardon?'

I glance at the face of this silly person. It's Rocky.

I blush when I see him, and then get angry at my reaction.

'You could have killed us,' I repeat.

He shakes his head. 'No, I'm rescuing you. Are you all right?'

I nod. 'I think so.'

'You're bleeding. Your head.'

'Yes, but it's not too bad.'

'Good. I'm glad.' He glances up. 'I don't think we can get back up the way I came down.'

'You think?' I respond, still feeling angry. 'Half of your path down is at the bottom of the cliff now, and it could have taken me with it.'

'Yes, I know. I'm sorry.'

'Hmmm. Why didn't you go get someone to help? Someone with a rope?'

'There wasn't time. You could have fallen off this ledge.'

I bristle at this. 'Well, I didn't did I? I was perfectly safe here until you decided to rescue me.'

'Well, I'm here now, with you…' He sighs. 'Look, we're going to have to work together to get off this ledge and to safety, so how about we don't argue?'

I nod my head. 'Okay. How are we going to get back up to the top of the cliff?'

'We're not. We're going to go down.'

I glance over the side of the ledge. 'It's a long way down.'

'I know.'


	71. Chapter 71

**Walking (Storm)**

I look back at the cave as long as I can, watch until I can no longer see Tulip's scared face and then look ahead, just in time to stop the young mother in front of me, a tiny baby in a back frame on her back, stumbles and nearly falls.

I grab my rope, pull it to give myself more room and then run forward to grab her arm.

'Thank you,' she says, and turns her head.

She's got a big bruise on her cheek.

'That's all right,' I say. 'Are you okay now?'

She shrugs. 'As much as I can be, I guess.' She sighs. 'I'm always stumbling, my husband always said I was the clumsiest person he knew. I'm always falling.'

'You are? Would you like me to help you? So you don't stumble again. I could hold your arm.'

She nods. 'Yes, thank you. My husband used to do that, but…'

I don't ask her where her husband is, because if he's not with her, and he's not, then he's probably dead back at the summer meeting, or in the older group left at the raiders' cave.

We walk for a while, neither talking. I just take her arm, and when she stumbles, I make sure she doesn't fall.

The raiders glare at me as they walk pass, but don't hit their ropes at me, or the young mother.

I suppose they are worried they might hit the baby.

'How old is your baby?' I ask, after a while.

'What?'

'I just wondered how old your baby is. She looks young.'

'She's four moons old,' she says. 'Born in the spring.'

'She's very,' I try to find the appropriate word. 'Wriggly.'

She laughs.

A bit.

'Yeah, she likes to kick her legs.' She glances at me. 'What do you think is going to happen to us?'

'I don't know,' I say.

But I do know, I heard the leader, we're going to be traded.

This young mother is going to be sold to someone else, and her child, might be taken from her.

I hate the raiders.


	72. Chapter 72

**Off the ledge (Rocky)**

'Look, over there,' I point to where there's another ledge that curves around the cliff. 'If we can jump over to that, then we'd be able to get to the path.'

Violet looks at me. 'Are you mad? We can't jump.'

'But if we don't, then we'll be trapped here.'

'Well, I'm not jumping.'

'And we're not staying here either.' I sigh. 'Move a bit so I can have a closer look.'

She moves herself closer to the cliff, and I crawl to the side edge of the cliff we're on. I can see the path below us, far below us. And she's right, the other ledge is too far away.

I look at the cliff. 'I think if we're careful, we'd be able to get over there if we use the natural notches on the cliff,' I say.

She shakes her head. 'I'm not going anywhere.'

'Fine.' I crawl to the cliff, and stand slowly up. 'I'll send someone for you.'

'You can't leave her here,' my mother whispers in my ear.

I've not seen her since I came down here. I thoughts she'd stayed up the top of the cliff, instead, she's floating above the gap between the ledges.

'She won't come,' I say.

'She will.'

I turn to ask Violet once again to come with me, but the words dry up in my mouth as I see her face.

Which is terror stricken.

And staring at my mother.

'Is she…?'

'I'm a spirit Violet.'

She gasps. 'She knows my name?' She shakes her head. 'A spirit knows my name. How does she know my name? What's happening? How can a spirit know my name? How come I can even see her.' She swallows. Hard. 'Am I dead? Is that how I can see her and she knows my name?'

'You are not dead,' I say.

'And I know your name because I've known you for a long time,' my mother says. 'I'm Rocky's mother.'

'But you're dead.'

'Yes.'

'Oh.'

She's still staring at my mother. Looks terrified.

'Are you going to steal my spirit?' she whispers.

My mother laughs. 'No. I'm not. But I am going to get you off this ledge and to safety.'

'I'm not going to jump.'

'No, you are going to do what Rocky tells you to do.'

'Climb across?' she shakes her head. 'I'll fall.'

'No, you won't. I won't let you.'

'But you're a spirit. How can you…'

My mother smiles. 'I am a spirit who is also a mother and I will not let my son fall, and I will not let you fall either. I have known you since you were a baby Violet, I have watched you grow up. You are as close to a child of mine as it can get without me birthing or adopting you. I will not let you fall.'

'But…'

'Look, Rocky will go first and you will see that he doesn't fall and then you will know that you are safe. Is that all right?'

Violet nods her head.

And then my mother looks at me. Floats closer so she's right behind me.

'Are you ready?'

'Yes,' I respond, putting a foot over the edge of the ledge and finding a foothold. I do the same with my hand. And then slowly and carefully, move off the ledge and start to climb over.

And my mother stays behind me the whole way.

I can feel her presence behind me.

And then I slip.

The handhold crumbles.

And I feel arms holding me up while I find another.

'You're fine,' my mother whispers in my ear.

And I am.

The rest of my climb across goes smoothly.

'Violet, it's easy, I shout over to her.

'I can't.'

'Yes, you can.

My mother floats back over to her. 'You can do it my dear,' she says, and puts her spirit hand onto Violet's cheek.

Who nods, and starts to crawl toward the edge of the ledge.

'You'll be fine,' I call out to her.

She doesn't answer me. Just starts to climb.

My mother behind her, guiding her.

She reaches the ledge I'm on easily, pulls herself onto it.

I pull her away from the edge.

She looks up at me.

Blinking.

'What happened?'

I frown. 'What do you mean?'

'One moment, your mother was touching my cheek, and the next, I was over here. How did I get over here?'

'I…'

'I took over her will,' my mother says. 'I was just trying to give her courage, but my consciousness just slipped in, and I could see out of her eyes.'

'You took over my…' Violet shudders.

'Mother, how could you?'

'I know. And now I know it is possible, it won't happen again. But I thought it was best to get her across before relinquishing control.' She looks at Violet. 'I am sorry, but look, you are safe, and the path is only over there.'

Violet nods, but I can see she's uncertain.

As am I.

My mother seems to be changing from the woman I knew into something else.

And I don't like it.

'I won't ever do it again,' she says.

And she shudders.

I think she's as upset about it as we are.


	73. Chapter 73

**The older group and me (Tulip)**

'Go into the cave,' one of the raiders left behind says. 'It is time.'

I frown. 'Time for what?' I ask.

He shakes his head and smirks. 'You'll find out soon enough. Now get in there.'

He pushes me.

'All right. I'm going.'

I walk into the cave along with others from the older group.

'Keep walking,' the raider says. 'Go to the back of the cave.'

Why are we being made to go to the back of the cave?

'Do you think they're going to kill us?' a woman whispers. 'And store our dead bodies at the back. Maybe they're cannibals.'

I look at her. 'Surely not?' I say.

And hope.

She shrugs. 'Something's going on and I don't think it's going to end well for us.'

'Shut up,' a raider says, hitting the woman with a rope. 'Stop talking. You must be respectful.'

I blink.

Respectful?

To who?

To the raiders?

We congregate at the back of the cave, most of us shaking with nerves about what's going to happen next.

It's so dark back here that it is easy to imagine something horrible happening to us.

To the side, I see a light suddenly appear, and a face.

Zerenia holding a flaming torch.

'This way,' she says. 'Everything is ready.'

If I thought the back of the cave was dark then it is nothing compared to the cave we enter.

I can't see anything.

Even with the old woman and her torch it is impossible to see the walls of the cave but when she leaves, when all the raiders leave, It goes darker than night.

Near me I can hear a woman crying and a man trying to comfort her.

And then, suddenly, the cave flashes with light and I see something in front if me.

They look like us.

But also different.

They surround us, form a circle with their hands around us.

I think they're singing.

A sound like voices fills my ears. But it is too high pitched. Too unnatural.

They step toward us, tightening the circle and I see that the light is coming from them.

It glows from their skin.

And runs through their veins like blood runs through ours.

They step closer again.

And we all huddle together.

No one wants to be touched by these things.

They step closer, so they're shoulder to shoulder, forming a barrier around us.

And then they reach out their arms toward us.

And I feel a too cold hand on my face.

And then the light crackles.

Around us.

Above us.

Through us.

I can feel it crackle through my body.

Through my lungs.

It tingles in my fingers.

And toes.

I can feel it in my hair.

I close my eyes, but I can't block it out.

'Welcome,' I hear a voice say. 'Welcome to your new reality. Now you'd better run, we're coming to eat you.'

I open my eyes to find I'm not in the cave anymore. I'm in a meadow, filled with flowers, except they have blue leaves and green petals.

And the smell of them is strange.

Intoxicating.

Some are lying amidst them, eyes closed, smiles on their lips.

The strange beings are crouching down next to them. Touching them.

Others are already running.

'Hello child,' one of the being says. 'You will be the tastiest treat I've had for eons.'

It lifts a hand toward my chest.

I run.


	74. Chapter 74

**I'll be okay (Violet)**

We've just reached the bottom of the cliff when I hear faint shouting.

I look up to the top of the cliff and see someone standing there.

No, not someone, more than one.

But one of them is crouched by the edge, leaning over.

Shouting.

'It's your father,' Rocky's mother says.

And yes, it is. Now she has said it, I can see it is him.

'Come back.'

'I can't,' I shout. 'There's no way up and you can't get down.'

'I'll get down,' he shouts back. 'You just stay there.'

'We can't stay,' Rocky's mother says. 'Things are moving too fast, the raiders,' she sighs. 'The spirits have escalated things. We need to go.'

I glance at her. 'But?'

'I'm sorry. If we don't go now, it will be too late.'

'Too late?'

She nods.

'All right, I'm coming.'. I look back to the top of the cliff.

I think my father is looking for a safe way down.

I cup my hands over my mouth. 'I've got to go.'

'No,' he shouts back. 'You stay there.'

I shake my head. 'I can't. I have something to do. But I'll be okay. Go back to Mother and tell her I'll be fine and I'll come back as soon as I'm able.'

'No.'

'I'm sorry.' I turn to look at Rocky and his mother. 'I'm ready to go. Though tell me, where are we going?'

'We're going to see the woman who lives by the sea who knows everything,,' Rocky says. He looks at his mother. 'Which way?'

She points to nearby trees and we start to walk to them.

'Violet, come back.'

I turn, wave. 'I'm sorry,' I shout. 'I love you and Mother.'

And then we reach the trees.

'How long will it take to get to the woman?'

Rocky shrugs.

'It won't take long,' his mother says. 'Just hold hands and climb on my back and I'll take you.'


	75. Chapter 75

**Trade (Storm)**

After half of us nearly got swept away when we crossed a river, we finally arrive at our destination just as the sun is setting in the sky.

But we aren't allowed to rest, no, we are shoved toward a platform that has been set up to the side of what must be a summer meeting, and told to smile.

Smile?

'What's going on?' the young mother asks me.

'I think,' I swallow hard. 'I think they're going to trade us.' I put my hand on her arm.

'Traded?' her voice wobbles and she draws her baby close to her. 'Will they trade my baby with me?'

I don't answer. I don't know. But I hope so. But after the way that young children and babies were taken from the older group, I doubt it.

'Let's hope that the person who buys you, wants the child too.'

She nods.

But I know she knows that the chances aren't brilliant.

'Whoever buys us has got to be better than the raiders,' I say.

And hope.

One of the raiders whacks his rope at me.

It hits the dirt in front of my feet.

'Be quiet.'

And then he walks away.

I put my arm around the young mother, and smile. 'Be brave,' I mouth.

'First up,' I hear the leader say as he stands on the platform. 'Is a strong young boy that I'm sure will work very hard and be able to do all the things that a cave's people doesn't want to do.' He laughs. 'So what am I offered?'

It's Rain up there.

Standing on the platform.

Staring out at the audience in front of him.

Those who would trade a human's life like we trade shells.

'I will give you a basket of apples, and my shell ear bobs,' an older woman shouts out. 'Just to spend the night with him.'

'Just one night? When you could have him for the rest of your life?'

'I don't want him that long.'

The audience laughs and the leader smirks. 'Maybe not, but that is the offer.'

'But then I'd have to feed him. I don't want to feed him.'

'He could feed you. He could be your personal slave. Cook all your meals, cut your meat up, feed you.'

'Can he cook?'

'Well, I don't know.' He looks at Rain. 'Well, can you boy?'

'I…' Something a bit wicked comes into his eyes. 'I make the best burnt stew. So black, and hard, that you have to chip away at it with a flint knife.'

'That doesn't sound good,' the woman says. 'Someone else can have him if I can't buy him for one night.'

'Time waster.'

'I'll give you a couple of auroch hides for him,' another woman says. 'But I want to see his muscles. I want to see if he's strong.'

'Show her your muscles boy.'

Rain lifts up his arms and moves it so its muscle bulges.

'Ooh, yes,' the woman enthuses. 'Nice.'

'I will give you two auroch hides and the fur of a beaver,' a man shouts.

'A cave lion's pelt,' a man shouts.

'Hope it hasn't got the cave lion still attached to it,' the leader says.

'No,' the man shakes his head. 'Of course not.'

'I will give you the hides of three aurochs, a cave lion pelt, which is sacred to me, and a basket of herbs and plants that can be used to heal,' an older woman says, her blonde hair streaked with grey.

'Are you a healer then? You going to get this boy to gather your plants?'

She nods. 'I am a medicine woman.'

'Good, good,' the leader nods. 'Any other bids?'

The bids are shouted out, one after the other. But finally the medicine woman wins, and Rain is taken to her.

She smiles at him.

And says something to him, but I don't hear what because the leader starts to sell another of us.

One by one, we are sold.

Some of the buyers seem to be good people, despite them buying humans.

Others seem to only think about their own desires.

Finally there is just be and the young mother.

And her child.

A raider grabs her by her hair and drags her to the platform.

'Oh, here's a nice one,' the leader says. 'A young mother, already with one child, so her fertility is proven, so how much am I bet?'

'Is the baby part of the deal?'

'What?' the leader glances at the young mother and notices the young child in her arms. 'No, the child will be sold separately.' He nods at one of the raiders, who comes and takes the child.

Or tries to.

The young mother doesn't give her up.

'Look, she's a feisty one. Like a lioness, she protects her young. Think men, or whoever buys her. If you buy her to be your second or third mate, or even your first, when she has your child, she will fight for it too. Won't let anyone hurt it. A good mother.'

'Let her keep the baby,' someone shouts out.

'And lose a trade? Never. Now what am I bid?'

Bids are shouted again, and soon a man comes forward and leads the young mother off.

Though she kicks him and tries to get to her child.

He picks her up, throws her over his shoulder and walks off with her.

'Well, now that the mother is, shall we say, busy? What am I bid for the child?'

The raider brings the wailing child forward.

'Maybe you can't have your own. Or have lost a child and want another. Maybe you just want someone you can train up from a young age.'

'A basket of apples,' a woman shouts.

'Just a basket of apples? This is a human being, surely it's worth more than a basket of apples?'

'It will need looking after for years before it is any use,' she says. 'A basket of apples is a good bid.'

'But I want more.'

'Okay, a basket of apples and a bladder of wine.'

'Better, but…'

'I'll give you a bowl of stew for your tea as well.'

The leader sighs. 'Is there no one else who wants the child?'

'It looks dirty,' someone shouts.

'Well, of course it's dirty,' the leader says. 'It's just been brought here from our cave. We're all dirty.'

'And how far away is your cave?'

The leader laughs. 'That is a secret.'

'It looks like no one else wants the child but me,' the woman says. 'So, have we got a deal? A basket of apples, a bladder of wine and your dinner?'

The leader sighs. 'I suppose...'

'I'll give you some apple and strawberry preserves,' an older woman shouts. 'And a bladder of wine and a bladder of Bouza. And I'll even throw in a new spear.'

'And my dinner?'

'Yes. How does roasted aurochs sound?'

'For just me?'

'For all of your people, tonight.'

The leader nods his head. 'Yes, okay. You have a deal. You can have the child.'

The woman comes forward to take the child, which she snuggles in her arms.

'I will take her to her mother.'

'What?'

'Her mother. My son has just brought her mother and didn't want to separate her from her child.'

'But, if I'd known you were buying her for the mother, I would have made you pay more.'

The woman's eyes twinkle. 'Too late now.'

'That roasted aurochs better be good.'

'Oh it is,' the woman says as she heads to where her son had taken the young mother. 'It's the best.'

The leader laughs. 'Good.' Then he looks at me. 'Seems everyone has been traded now,' he says.

'What about the boy?' a man says. 'He looks strong, though young. I want to trade for him.'

'Maybe you do, but he's not for trading. I have decided to keep him for myself.


	76. Chapter 76

**The Sea (Rocky)**

I thought that the land went by fast when my mother rushed me to Violet, but now? It goes by in a blur, and I have to close my eyes because it actually hurts them.

I can feel my blood beating within my head. Feeling like it wants to explode.

And then it stops.

'We're here,' my mother says.

I open my eyes. 'Already?' And then I see what's in front of me. More water than I ever thought was possible. Looking like an impossibly mad lake, waves rolling onto the sand.

It's amazing. Outstanding.

Birds fly over our heads, squawking at us.

Or at each other.

'This is the endless sea?' Violet says, the sea breeze catching at her hair.

'I think so,' I whisper.

I feel awed before it. Tiny.

'I want to…' Violet starts to say, running toward it.

'You haven't got time to go in the sea,' my mother says. 'You both need to go and see the old woman.'

I nod my head. 'Yes, you're right.'

'She lives this way.'

My mother floats over the sand.


	77. Chapter 77

**Nowhere land (Tulip)**

I run as fast as I can but the beings, whatever they are don't seem to follow me.

Or at least if they do, I can't see them.

But it doesn't matter. Because I'm not going to stop until I find somewhere where I can be safe from them and in this place, I have no idea where that will be.

So I keep on running.

I crash through long grass, through trees, and eventually stop, to catch my breath, at the side of a lake.

I stare at the ground, doubled over and try to breath.

'It's a girl,' a voice says.

I open my eyes as I straighten.

And see no one.

There's no one near me.

No one there.

But I heard a voice.

I'm about to start running again, thinking that the beings have found me, when I hear the voice again.

'Yoohoo, girl,' it shouts.

'Who's there? Where are you?'

'We're here silly,' the voice says. 'In the water. Won't you come and play with us? We're so lonely.'

In the water?

I walk carefully toward the edge of the water.

And see a couple of heads sticking out of it.

One of them smiles.

And waves.

'Hello,' she shouts. 'Will you come and play with us?'

'I can't swim.'

'We'll teach you. Me and my sister love to swim. Come on, get in the water.'

I'm about to step into it. Charmed by these girls, when one of them moves slightly.

And I see a tail.

A fish tail.

I step back. 'What are you? You've got a fish tail instead of legs.

She smiles. 'Of course we have,' she says, and the fish tail rises out of the water. She strokes it. 'Don't you think it's beautiful?'

I don't answer.

'We're not going to hurt you. Come on girl, get in the water so we can play.'

'I don't want to.'

'Yes, you do. The lagoon water is lovely and warm.'

'Come on,' the other girl says. 'You'll really love it. We'll teach you to swim and…'

I step forward.

'Yes, that's it. Come on. Just come into the water.' The two girls swim closer.

'Come on girl.'

I crouch down and put one foot into the water.

It is warm.

One of the girls swims closer, and grabs my ankle.

And starts to pull.

I try to get away from her.

'What are you doing?' I shout. 'Let go.'

'We just want you to come into the water so we can play.'

'No, I don't want to. Let me go.'

'But we want you to come in.'

My other foot skids on the mud and I half fall into the water.

But the girl doesn't let go.

And then I feel hands under my arms and someone dragging me out of the water.

The girls pull at my legs.

'Let her go, you can't have her,' a man's voice hisses behind me.

'But we want to play with her.'

'Until she drowns you do, then you'll get bored.'

'They always drown. Why do you always drown?'

'Because we can't breath in water like you mermaids. Now let her go.'

The man pulls hard and the girls, the mermaids, let go.

'You're a spoilsport,' they say and splash us.

And then they're gone.

'Are you all right?' the man asks. 'What were you doing going into the water? Surely you must know how dangerous Mermaid lagoon is?'

I shake my head.

'Wait, are you new? Have you just come from the world of the Mother?'

'I…'

'You are, aren't you? The raiders are up to their tricks again aren't they? Though they don't usually give children to the spirits.'

'Spirits?'

'The beings that brought you here.'

'Where is here?'

He shrugs. 'Nowhere?'

'Oh.'

'I don't know what this place is, I just know that it is dangerous, and not just because the spirits hunt us, but in many other ways too. But I've found you now, and will protect you. Now tell me, what's your name?'

'Tulip.'

'Hello Tulip, my name is Thanolar.'

'How long have you been here?'

'I don't know exactly because the days are different and it is always spring, but I believe that it has been three years since the raiders came to my cave.'


	78. Chapter 78

**The Old Woman (Violet)**

She's waiting for us.

Outside her cave.

Waiting for us, like she knew we were coming.

That we'd need her.

She waves to us as we walk toward her.

Nods three time.

Three times?

Nods once to Rocky, once to me, and once more to…

Rocky's mother.

She can see Rocky's mother?

She laughs as we come closer. 'Of course I can see her,' she says. 'I can see all spirits and I know them for what they are, either good or bad.'

'And which am I?' Rocky's mother asks.

'You are good, too good for your own good it seems. You've been doing too much, helping these two too much, you're starting to fade.'

I glance at Rocky's mother, and yes, the old woman is right.

Rocky's mother is beginning to fade.

'I needed to help them,' she says. 'I had no choice.'

The old woman nods. 'I know my dear, but you are here now and should rest. I will help these two do what they must do.'

'I've heard,' Rocky says. 'That you know everything.'

The old woman arches an eyebrow. 'That is true Rocky who was Panem.'

Rocky's mother nods her head, and I see her mouth move as she silently mouths the name Panem.

'Is that my real name?'

The old woman smiles. It is, though in times future, you will be known not by one or the other, but the two names, though they will be different, changed.'

I frown. 'What's that supposed to mean?'

'But the time is not the future, the time is for now. And you have a question for me.'

I step forward. 'We want to know how to find our people. Those that were taken by the raiders.'

'The raiders?' she sighs. 'The lost. Taken from their lives, and warped by the spirits into something else, their souls taken from them until all they can do is hate.'

'But where are they? Can you help us find them?'

'They are hidden.'

'Yes, we know but surely you…'

'I can't help you.'

She looks out at the sea.

'But, I thought…' I feel like screaming.

She turns and looks at me. 'I can't help you, but I know who can. But it will come at a cost.'

'A cost?' I gulp, and then nod my head. 'Okay.'

'Not to you.'

'Who from then?'

She nods at Rocky. 'Him.'

'Me?' he asks. 'What cost do you need from me?'

'Not me, I don't need anything from you. But those that can help...'

'What will they want?'

'Your life.'

'What?' I shake my head. 'No, they can't have that.'

The old woman looks at me. It is not for you to decide.'

'But…'

Rocky swallows. 'All right, to save my people, I will give my life.'

'You can't.'

He shrugs.

I look to where his mother last was. 'Don't let him do it,' I say to her.

She looks up at me. Her blue eyes bluer than in life. Her face sad. 'It is how it is supposed to be,' she says. 'But don't worry, it will all turn out all right.'

'Not for him it won't.'

'Yes, it will.'

'What? So he'll be a spirit like you? I don't call that being all right.'

Rocky puts his hand on my arm. Smiles at me. 'I have already agreed.'

'But…'

He shakes his head. 'I just want to say though, when I found out that my intended was to be Tulip, that I wished I'd been chosen for you.'

And then he turns and follows the old woman into her cave.

I run after them.

Try to stop him.

The old woman gently pushes me away. 'This is how it has to be,' she says.

'But, it's his life. And he said…'

'We all have sacrifices to make,' she says. 'This is his. Let him do what he has to do, and wish him well.'

'I can't.'

She stares at my face. Touches my cheek. 'Yes you can.'

'But…'

'Sssh.' And then she turns and walks away.

'Rocky,' I shout.

He turns, waves, and then disappears into the cave.


	79. Chapter 79

**Wine and Bouzing! (Storm)**

I almost groan aloud when the leader says I'm to stay with him.

I was hoping that I would get traded.

Because I reckon even the harshest person would give me an easier life that it will be serving the raiders.

But then I remember Tulip.

Back at the raider's cave.

At least this way, I'll see her again.

And maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to escape.

'Come with me,' the leader says, snapping his fingers.

He walks away from the platform, toward the centre of this summer meeting where there's a clearing.

So like the one we had.

He plonks down next to his raiders, and tells me to get him some wine.

And considering he's traded many of my people for wine today, there's plenty for him to drink.

And for the other raiders.

And drink they do.

As well as eat the roasted auroch that the woman had traded the baby for.

Others are sitting in the clearing, drinking, dancing, some sing and entertain everyone, others tell stories.

The woman who traded for Rain is there.

She stands up and walks to the centre of the gathering.

Sits down.

'My name,' she says in a voice that almost swallows her words. 'My name is Ayla and I was born to a people who live far away. I do not know what they were called, I do not know what my parents' names were, I do not even remember what they looked like. For you see, when I was five summers, when we were travelling, there was an earthquake and they were lost to me.'

'It wasn't me,' the leader shouts drunkenly. 'I didn't take them.'

Ayla doesn't smile.

I don't blame her.

His joke is horrendously insensitive.

But then he is in the business of killing people, and trading others. He's never going to get any prizes for being nice.

She continues to tell her story, about how she was lost, and then found by Flatheads of all people. How they took her in, adopted her and looked after her as if she was born to them. She said how they were good people, and she had made it her life's task to tell people, wherever she went, this information so that they and us could live in peace.

'What? Those animals?' the leader sneers, as he downs another cup of bouzing.

She ignores him, and goes to sit down. Talks to the man who traded for the young mother.

'Boy,' the leader shouts, holding his cup upside down. 'I need more.'

I rush forward and fill his cup.

He pats a spot on the grass next to him.

'Sit down next to me,' he says. He hiccups and grins. 'You know, you remind me of myself when I was young, a thousand summers ago.'

I blink.

'You don't believe I'm a thousand summers old?' he laughs.

I was actually reacting at him saying I reminded him of himself but don't say anything.

I don't think he'd like it.

'I'm over a thousand summers old. I was your age when the spirits came.' He hiccups again. 'They came and they took us to this other place and told us that they would never let us go, they would eat our spirits unless we agreed to follow them. Some refused, and died. I was so scared that I agreed. And since then, I've gone from one place to the other, raiding people, killing them, taking them, trading the young ones, giving the older ones to the spirits.'

I don't know what to say about what he's telling me.

It sounds too unlikely to be true.

Surely?

'You don't believe in spirits?' he laughs. 'I can tell by your face you don't, but you should. They're real. As real as me and you. And you will come to know them, as I know them. When you become one of us.'

'What?'

I say the word before I can stop it, I wish I could have stuck my hands down my throat to stop myself saying it.

But the leader laughs. 'I want you to be a raider,' he says. 'You'll meet the spirits, agree to follow them, and do you know what? You won't even miss your soul.'

I swallow hard.

'Will you be a raider?' he asks. 'Think about it.'

And then, without waiting for any reply, he lies down on the grass, closes his eyes and starts to snore.

And all around me, the other raiders do the same.

One by one, they succumb to unconsciousness.

I look away from them, wondering what I'm going to do.

I wanted to go back and escape with Tulip, but now?

Now, I don't think I can.

I need to go now before they ask me to be a raider again.

Before they try to turn me into something I don't want to be.

I stand up carefully, making sure I don't wake any of them up.

And start to creep away.

I've reached the first tents when someone grabs me.

Puts their hand over my mouth and pulls me into the tent.

'Don't cry out,' a voice says. 'I mean you no harm.'

'We mean you no harm,' another says.

I stare through the dim light in the tent and see the woman named Ayla.

'You are Storm?'

I nod.

'Will you be quiet?'

I nod again.

'Let him go,' she says to the person holding me.

Who removes their hand.

I take a big breath.

'You were trying to get away from them?'

'Yes. The leader, he said he wanted me to be a raider,' I say. 'I don't want to be that.'

'And you won't be. Are they all asleep?'

'Yes, but...'

'Magic mushrooms in their dinner,' she winks. 'Only mild ones, but they'll sleep for hours and when they wake up, they'll find themselves rather tied up.' She grins. 'And as for you, you are now free.'


	80. Chapter 80

**I am the light in the darkness (Rocky)**

I follow the old woman into her cave, pass a fur and cooking things and deeper in.

Into a larger cave, which is empty.

Except right in the middle, is an old tree stump. The top of it smooth.

'Sit,' she says pointing at it. 'And don't be frightened.'

Ha! If I was frightened before, and I was, then I am far more so now.

I sit on the stump. My knees near my chin and wait.

Nervously.

There's a small fire burning low on the other side of the cave, casting enough light for me to see.

And it suddenly goes out.

And I'm in the dark.

I sit on the stump shaking, wanting to just run out of the cave, run to Violet and to my mother.

Run and get away.

I put my hands under my bottom and stay where I am.

Try to still my trembling.

'Be not afraid,' a voice says in the darkness. 'I will not hurt you.'

'Where are you?' I say. 'What are you?'

The stump underneath rocks, banging on the floor, because I'm shaking so much.

I don't like this.

I don't this at all.

And then I see a light.

Small. It hovers over where the fire was.

And then it gets bigger.

To the size of a man.

And the light changes colour, going from white to blue, and then pink like a messed up rainbow.

'Who are you?' I ask, standing up.

I step toward the light.

'I am the light in the darkness, I am the hope that a mother has when she first sees her child. I am the gentle breeze that cools you on a hot day, the water that quenches your thirst, I am the path you find after being lost. I am the meal that fills a starving man and the still voice in the night that tells you that you'll be fine. I am love.'

'Okay,' I say. 'But who are you?'

'My name does not matter, all you need to know is I am the rescuer. I have come to help you.'

'Help me save my people?'

He nods.

'So you can help me?'

'I can and I will.'

'Thank you.'

He nods his head. 'Your thanks are gratefully received but you should know, that the path you must tread is a hard one.'

'I know. I will die.'

'You will not die.'

'I won't? But the old woman said I would lose my life.'

'Yes but not by death. There are more ways to lose your life than to die. What you desire, it requires that you give up your life now. And the one you would have with the girl outside. You want to rescue your people but some of them are in a place that is outside this one. A place that my people should never go. A place of evil spirits.'

I shudder. 'Sounds horrible.'

'It is but it is also a beautiful place. One that can turn a human's head, twist them. Take their soul. To go to that place and be safe, you must give me something.'

'What?'

'Your shadow.'

I blink. 'My shadow?'

'If your shadow is safe in my kingdom, then you can enter without danger. The spirits will not be able to eat your spirit or twist it because a part of you will be safe. You will be beyond their touch.'

'And afterwards? When I've found my people, will I get it back?'

'Yes, but it won't be the same anymore. It won't be static, it will almost have a life of its own.'

'But my people will be safe?'

'They will.'

'And we will all be able to go back?'

He shakes his head. 'They were pulled into the other place against their will, they can go back but you, if you choose to go, and give me your shadow to look after, you will be changed. You will never be able to live your old life.'

'How will I change?'

He laughs. 'You won't be human any longer. You will be a spirit.'

'Dead.'

'No, not dead. If fact, you will never die. You will live forever.'

'I will?'

'Yes.'

I frown. 'But if I'm to live forever, but cannot returned to my people, where will I live? In this other place with the evil spirits.'

'You will be able to move between the two world.'

'So I could go and live with my people? Who will stop me?'

'Not me. But you will find that they won't accept you.'

'Why?'

'Because once you give me your shadow your old life will be over. You won't die but you also won't age. You will stay the age you are forever. A boy just about to step into the world of men. You will be frozen. Unchanged. They might let you live with them for a while but what about in a few years when you're friends have grown into men and you are still thus? Your people will become afraid of you and things that frighten people are often pushed out. Rejected.'

'So if I do this, I can't...'

He shakes his head.

'And what if I don't? What if I leave this cave, go to the girl outside and live my life?'

'Then your people will die. Not all of them. Some have already been rescued but some are in the other place and in danger. Including the one they called your intended.'

'Tulip?'

'Yes.'

'What will happen to her?'

He sighs. 'If you don't save her, then eventually the spirits will find her and her spirit, her soul will be ripped from her and consumed. Her body will live for a while but will wither away because that what makes Tulip alive will be gone.'

'She'll die?'

'Her body will die, her soul though, it will be like she never existed.'

'And if I don't give you my shadow and allow you to change me, that will be what happens to her? To all of them?'

'Yes.'

'Can't someone else go?'

'No. Only you.'

'Why? That's hardly fair.'

'Being fair has nothing to do with it. It is because when you were little and fell in the river, my people, those you call good spirits, held your head above the water. But a touch from my people, from me, always changes a human. When you were saved, you changed a little then. Your shadow detached but so slightly that no one would notice. But enough that what is impossible with all others, is possible with you. And only you. If you don't do this, then those in the other place will be lost eventually. And the raiders will continue to raid, continue to kill and kidnap. Continue to give people to the spirits for their spirits to be consumed. Or to be twisted.'

'Twisted?'

'Some, like the raiders, willingly give up their souls to the spirits. They allow themselves to be changed because they're scared or because they want what the spirits offer. The raiders live forever too, they can move from world to world, raiding, killing and each year more join them. In thousands of years time, when your kind should cover the earth, the raiders will be in charge. They will rule this world. Rule it and controll it and the spirits will be loosed into it to do what they want. They will consume this world until there is only a dry husk. But if you...'

'I can stop it happening?'

'Yes.'

'How?'

'You will fight the leader of the raiders. Once he is injured, then the spirits power will waver so that my angels will be able to enter the other place. We will subdue to spirits, trap them so they can't enter this world or have any control over the other place.'

'And the raiders will die?'

'No, they are eternal, they can't die. But they will lose their powers. They will become as weak as men again. They'll be able to enter this world sometimes but only if they find a portal. Otherwise, they'll be trapped in the other place for the rest of eternity.'

'I don't really have a choice in this do I? If I don't give you my shadow and leave my life then...'

'You always have a choice but it is between a healthy good world and one ripped apart.'

I blow air through my teeth, look down at my hands and sigh. And then look up at the man and nod my head. 'I'll give you my shadow,' I say. 'But tell me, how am I supposed to fight the leaders of the raiders?'

'You'll be given powers to fight him.'

'What powers?'

He smiles. 'You'll see soon enough. Now, are you ready?'

'Can I not say goodbye to...'

'You could but in the meantime your people are in danger. Time is precious.'

I nod. 'All right then. I'm ready.'

He walks toward me. Puts his arms around me.

'Will it hurt?' I ask. 'Taking my shadow.'

'No,' he responds. 'I already have it.'

And I see something dark in his hand.

My shadow.

'Are you ready to go to the other place?'

'I guess. Yes.'

His arms around me grow warm, light floods over me, hope fills that place that is within me.

And then, the dark cave disappears and I'm in a beautiful meadow.

The man steps away from me and smiles.

'You will see her again,' he says. 'Your Violet. You will see her again.'

And then he fades away and I am alone.


	81. Chapter 81

**Be careful! (Tulip)**

'Don't eat the apples from that tree,' Thanolar says as we walk along. 'They're poisonous, I've lost quite a few friends because of them. And be careful walking here.'

'Bunnies.'

I look around. 'Bunnies, you mean cute little bunnies?' I smile. 'How are they dangerous? Do you mean that there are a lot of burrows and I could twist my ankle in one?'

'No, I mean that they like the taste of human flesh.'

He clashes his teeth together.

'Pardon? Bunnies? Rabbits?'

'They'll tear your flesh off your bones quicker than you can shout for help.'

I shudder. 'They will?'

He nods his head. 'If you see one, then you must stay very still until it's gone.'

'All right. Anythng else?'

'Yes, strawberries will make you sick. They taste revolting. I think the variety that grow here grow already mouldy.'

I grimace. 'Good to know. Never really liked strawberries too much anyway.'

'And if the grass is higher than your knees, then it will try to wrap itself around your legs.'

'So it can eat me?'

He shakes his head. 'No, it just seems to like wrapping itself around people's legs.'

'Maybe it's lonely.'

He laughs. 'Yeah, maybe.'

'Anything else?'

'Oh, there's lots more. Don't look at the moon at night because it's as bright as the sun and will burn your eyes. Don't look a bird in the eye because some of them like to collect shiny things, and your eyes are shiny. And whatever you do, don't go into the caves near Marooners' Rock because that's where the spirits like to rest.'

'Where's Marooners' Rock?'

'Near where I found you. You are lucky it was only the Mermaids that found you. And of course me. Though I guess, they weren't in the cave at the time as they'd just brought you to nowhere land. But don't go near it again.'

'I won't.'

He nods. 'One of thing. Some of the people that I live with are rather strange.'

'How?'

'They're not from the world of the Mother, or from this world. They're from somewhere else. Somewhere where blue skin is normal.'

'Blue?'

'Yep, blue. And you mustn't stare at them because that would be rude, and it would make them angry. And you don't want to see a Blue Vinarian angry. It's not a pretty sight. They go purple.'

'Okay.'

But it's not okay. I'm feeling rather confused, and very very scared.

And I really want my mother.


	82. Chapter 82

**How is this possible? (Storm)**

I sleep that night in one of the tent with others of my people. It is good to be finally free. When I wake up the next morning, I get dressed and go outside to find myself some breakfast.

It feels like an age since I've eaten.

I avoid the clearing where the raiders are, circling around the back of the tents to get to the cooking tent that's on the other side.

Except.

I don't think that they might have moved them while they were unconscious.

That they might be in the area I'm going through.

But they have been moved.

And they've just woken up to find themselves tied up.

And they don't sound very happy.

'Boy,' the leader shouts when he sees me. 'Untie me.'

I shake my head.

'Don't disobey me, I warn you.'

I start to edge away.

'Boy. I'll give you one chance. You either come and untie me or you will be sorry.'

'He's not going to untie you,' a voice says behind me.

Ayla.

'Who are you?' the leader spits.

'I am the spiritual leader of a people that live further inland.'

'Well, you're not the leader here. I am.'

'My people call themselves the Zelendonii. Three years ago, one of the caves of the Zelendonii was raided. By you. You killed my people and stole the rest.'

'Oh, boohoo. I don't care.'

'Well you should care, because if you hadn't raided, then we wouldn't have looked for you. And you wouldn't be sat there tied up and defeated.'

The leader laughs. 'I remember who you are now, you're that woman who was raised by animals. Well, those animals won't be able to protect you for what you've done.'

Protect me from whom? You? You're tied up.

'Not for long.'

'No one will help you.'

'Oh help is coming, you can bet on that. In fact, I can feel it coming right now.'

'What are you talking about?'

Lights start to sparkle around them.

I blink thinking I've got something in my eye.

But I haven't.

Because when I look back at the raiders, there are even more lights.

And they are getting bigger.

Forming into people size shapes.

How is this possible?

I step back.

And so does Ayla.

'What's happening?' I shout, above what sounds like a hurricane.

The people size lights fly around the raiders.

They fly around the leader.

Who is laughing.

And then stands as the ropes that tie him falls away.

They all stand.

Leaving behind their ropes.

I step back again, putting my hands over my ears to block out the noise.

That makes my head feel like it's going to explode.

'Who is defeated now?' the leader says.

And then he sneers at me. 'How could I have ever thought you were like me? You were never like me and will never be a raider.'

'Good, I never wanted to be one anyway.'

His face twists into a frown, and then a smirk. 'See you loser,' he says.

And then the people size lights start to spin even faster around them, and the noise escalates until it echoes through my brain and through my body.

Around me, I see that people's noses are bleeding.

And I feel something dribble from my own nose.

The lights are spinning around the raiders so fast now, that I can't see them.

And then they suddenly disappear.

And the raiders are gone too.


	83. Chapter 83

**Here to help (Rocky)**

Guess what?

I've discovered what my new abilities are.

They're outstanding.

Impossible.

Exciting.

Frightening.

Some more than others.

When I arrived here, I immediately felt different.

I felt stronger.

And more at ease with myself.

With who I am.

Or was.

And will be.

I felt confidence in myself as I stood there.

It was almost like I had become more in tune with what was around me.

I could see an apple growing on a tree far away.

I could hear an insect, which I couldn't see, as easy as if it was right next to me.

And I knew straight away where I would find people.

And spirits.

I knew which way to walk.

I set off immediately, striding through the long grass, which tickled the tips of my fingers it was so high.

Well it did until it wrapped itself around my legs and caused me to fall.

I tried to kick my legs free.

I was scared it was going to try to eat me.

Because though I'd been told I would never die, I didn't like the idea of being eternally alive and in bits in some sort of monster grass stomach.

The grass wrapped itself around my arms, my head, my body.

Trapping me.

Because though it was as flexible as the grass I'm used to, it was far stronger.

I couldn't rip it out of the ground.

I breathed hard, hissing air through my teeth.

And over the grass that was wrapped around my arm.

Which withered.

Yep, my first ability. I can kill plants with my breath.

I don't think I'll share that with anyone.

Well, apart from you!

It's pretty embarrassing.

So anyway, I breathed on the rest of the grass holding me.

And it too withered and I was free.

I stood up, dusted off my clothes and started to walk, the grass opening up a path for me and almost shaking as I passed.

I decided not to walk through anymore long grass.

And as I walked, I wondered what else I could do.

Maybe I could read minds.

Or pick up really heavy boulders, that ten men wouldn't be able to roll.

Maybe I'll be able to swim under water without coming up for a breath.

I grinned at this, and headed toward where I could feel a body of water is.

And that was when I heard the scream.

I started running, sure someone was in terrible danger.

Smoke came from my feet as I ran fast.

Really fast.

Possibly fast.

Another new ability.

Up ahead, I could see someone struggling against a man.

A woman.

The one who was screaming.

I knew that she was on danger.

Because of how much she was screaming.

And how terrified she looked.

And the fact that the man was trying to drag her into a cave was a big hit as to her being in a bad situation.

I ran faster toward them, determined that I would help her.

And then the ground was gone.

And I fell into a chasm between where I was and where the woman was trying to get away from the man.

About to be dashed on the rocks.

But suddenly, I was no longer falling.

I just hung in the air.

And then somehow I moved up the way I had fell.

I flew.

Yep, I can fly.

Me, Rocky, I can fly.

I flew fast toward the man and woman, twisting around at the last minute so my feet slammed into the man.

And slammed hard.

He fell, smacked his head on a rock and was still.

I landed and looked toward the woman who was cowering away from me.

'It's all right,' I said to her. 'I won't hurt you. I'm here to help.'


	84. Chapter 84

**Looking (Violet)**

'Do you know where I can find Rain or Storm?' I ask a young girl as soon as Rocky's mother gets us to our destination.

The girl's lips twitch and then she starts to laugh.

'What?' I ask, feeling more than a little annoyed. 'What's so funny?'

'You,' she giggled. 'How can you talk to a rain storm?'

I take a deep breath because I haven't got time for this. 'Rain is a person,' I say slowly. 'And so is Storm.'

'Well I hope they never get together or the ground will turn to mud.'

'Very droll. Have you seen them?' I step closer to her.

'No,' she says, moving away. 'But maybe you could ask mud and see what he says.' She laughs and then runs away.

I sigh and look around for Rocky's mother, but she's no where to be seen.

She's obviously gone where spirits go when they're not around.

Maybe she's gone to have a sleep.

If spirits do such a thing.

I start to walk to a tent, partly because I know I'm going to have to find them myself but also for something to do.

I can't just stand still, waiting for someone to help me.

I would look like an idiot.


	85. Chapter 85

**The Island (Tulip)**

I slip out of the cave and run down the pathway to the valley below, enjoying how the sun warms my skin and knowing that I'm safe from the spirits.

Safe because I'm on an island.

And the spirits don't come to this island because they can't cross running water.

So I'm safe to sit down on the sandy shore, stare out over the water at the main land where the spirits eat.

I can stick my feet into the warm sand, knowing that the others people of this island.

And some not quite people.

They are blue.

But so what, they have cleared out all the burrows of the carnivorous bunnies.

Even the grass is short here, cut by a special tool of the blue people that glints in the sun and they call a scythe.

I lay down and close my eyes.

Nearby I hear splashes and the occasional shout.

'Girl,' the mermaids call.

I ignore them.

They won't trick me again.

My stomach is full, my clothes not ripped and I have hundreds of stories whirling through my head.

Auroch hunts.

A lion bought up as if it is a baby.

Blue hunters chasing down their wonderbeasts under double blue suns.

I start to drift to sleep, the sound of the ebb and flow of the waves almost a lullaby.

My mother used to sing lullabies to me when I was little. I remember her favourite song.

And am pulled into a dream about that time.

'My sweet little flower,' my dream mother says to me.

And me, a small child again, giggle.

She tucks me in my furs and crouches down next to my small sleeping platform. Looks over its sides and starts to sing as she strokes my baby hair.

'Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep little Tulip Bell, go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep my little girl. In your sleep, fairies fly, guarding you till the morning. In your sleep, I will come and will tell you WAKE UP!'

I lurch from the sand with a jolt. Banging my head against something. I raise my hand to rub my head and then freeze.

How could I have banged my head? There was nothing above me, only the sun shining brightly on my face.

Except there's no sun on my face, only a shadow.

And it's not night time as outside the shadow I'm under, the sun is still shining.

I lift my head slowly until I'm looking upward.

At a face.

At a face I hate.

'Hello,' the voice to the hated voice says. 'I'm glad I found you. I was wondering what had happened to the little girl who got her mother killed.'

The leader is leaning over me.


	86. Chapter 86

**Back (Storm)**

We'd just been discussing travelling back the way we, the former slaves, had come to this summer meeting, to try to find the raiders' cave, when Violet found us.

I was shocked when she just walked into the tent.

For a moment, I left my mouth wide open as I tried to work out what was happening.

Violet hadn't been taken.

Had she?

I shook my head, trying to clear the fog that was filling it.

I'm sure she wasn't at the raiders' cave.

I step forward, thankfully remembering to close my mouth.

And she smiles when she sees me.

'Storm,' she runs forward and grabs my hands. 'The old woman was right. She said that you were all right.' She glances around. 'Is Rain here?'

I shake my head. 'He's doing something for Ayla.'

'Ayla?'

'I am Ayla,' the older woman says, putting up her hands in greeting.'

'Are you in charge here?' Violet asks. 'I have a message for you.'

'A message?'

Violet nods. 'Are you the leader?'

'Yes.'

Violet smiles. 'The old woman who lives by the sea and knows everything told me to tell you to go back to the raiders' cave, or as close to it as you can and camp there.'

'We were just discussing doing that.'

'You were? Oh.'

Ayla puts a hand on Violet's shoulder. 'But it is good to know that we are doing the right thing. I have heard of the old woman, she sounds interesting, I would like to meet her but I hear that only a few can because she is hidden from most.'

'Yes, she is hidden unless she wants you to find her.'

Ayla laughs. 'Yes, she is very wise. There are times I wish I could hide.'

'Ayla,' an older man says. His head is nearly bald, but he has the most amazing bright blue eyes.

'Yes Jondalar?'

'We need to decide what we are going to do once we've found the raiders' cave.'

'You won't be able to find it,' Violet says. 'It's hidden like the old woman is hidden.'

Ayla turns back to Violet. 'The raiders' cave is hidden?'

'Yes.'

'Then we can't do anything,' Jondalar sighs. 'We'll never find the raiders. We might as well go home.'

Ayla glares at him. 'I am not going to give in yet.'

'But Ayla, if we can't find them, then what's the point of trying?'

'You can't go home,' Violet says. 'We need to get as close to where the raiders' cave is as we can.'

'And then what?' Jondalar asks, raising a greying blond eyebrow.

'We wait.'

'What for?' Ayla asks.

'For the raiders' cave to become visible.'


	87. Chapter 87

**Where's Tulip? (Rocky)**

The woman fainted after I rescued her, so I picked her up and flew in the direction I could sense people, passing over a body of water to an island.

I have just put the woman down when I am met by spears.

'It's a spirit,' a woman cries out. 'A spirit on the island.'

'I'm not a...'

A spear is jabbed at me.

'What have you done to her?' a man nods at the woman who is just starting to groan as she wakes up.

'I haven't done anything.'

'A likely story,' the man snorts. He carefully steps toward me, grabs the woman's hand and drags her away.'. 'Begone vile spirit ,' he says.

'I am not a spirit,' I say, anger rising in me.

'Then how can you float in air?'

'What?' I look down at the ground, some way below my feet. 'Oh.' I lower myself until my feet touch the ground again.

'Kill the spirit,' a woman shouts.

'Don't be stupid,' the man says. 'You can't kill a spirit.'

'I am not a spirit. Yeah, I know I'm different and can do strange things but I'm human and I'm here to help you.'

'Help us? We don't need your help, we're perfectly safe here. Well we were until you came spirit.'

I sigh. This is hard.

I'm trying to think of a way to convince that that I won't hurt them when a man comes running over.

'What have you done to her?' the man shouts, barrelling into me.

The back of my head hits the sand and the man jumps on my chest and starts punching me. What have you done to her? What have you done to Tulip?'

I grab his fists in my hands and lift him off me. 'Tulip? You said Tulip. Where is she?'

'You should know.'

I stand up. 'I don't know where she is but what I do know is she is my cousin and I have been looking for her since the raiders took her.'

'Your cousin?'

'Yes, my cousin,' I say. 'And it sounds like you've lost her.'


	88. Chapter 88

**The Encounter (Storm)**

'Sssh,' Ayla says, putting her hand up for us all to stop walking. She waves it toward the ground. 'Get down, I can hear someone.'

I crouch down, my hands touching the muddy ground and listen.

I can hear bushes moving as someone passes them.

The raiders?

Are they coming back for us?

Do they know we're here?

I glance at Violet. Her face is pale and her eyes are twitching from side to side.

'Who is it?' she mouths.

I shake my head.

I look around to see Ayla and a couple of the Zelendonii slip between the trees.

They make no sound unlike those that are coming closer to us.

'We should hide,' Violet whispers.

'There are too many of us to hide,' I say. 'We'll just have to hope that whoever it is, that they'll pass by without seeing us.'

'Okay.'

We crouch there and wait. Me and Violet and Rain too.

'It will be all right,' Rain says, mostly to Violet I suspect. 'Everything will be fine.'

'You don't know that, what if...'

Someone screams nearby.

'What was that?' Violet says, starting to stand up.

I push her back down and then start to edge toward where Ayla and the others had disappeared through the trees.

I don't get far when someone runs out of the trees.

Runs out, trips over me and falls, face first, into the mud.

One of the other Zelendonii runs over, a spear in his hand.

The man on the ground groans, rolls over and tries to sit up.

Only to find a spear at his throat.

He screams.

There's something about him that's familiar. But with his face full of mud, it's impossible to tell where I know him from.

'Let me go,' he shouts, his whole body shaking.

'Ayla,' someone says and I turn to see she and the others have returned.

And others are with them.

In front of them.

Walking with Zelendonii spears in their backs.

They walk stiffly toward us.

'Let me go,' the man on the ground repeats. 'Do you not know who I am?'

'Shut up,' one of the other men says. 'They're not interested in who you are. They're raiders and you, my brother,' he shakes his head as if he's wondering how he came to be related to someone so weak. 'You, my brother, gave us away with all your screaming and crashing through the trees.' He sighs.

'Well, you wanted to find the raiders. You've done it now.'

'I want to find my daughter,' the man says. 'And our people. I didn't want to be caught by the raiders. But because of you...'

'It wasn't my fault Thunder. One of them stood on my foot. What did you expect me to do? It hurt.'

'You should have done nothing Lightning. Instead you ran around like a little girl playing her first game off kiss chase.'

'No I didn't.'

'Yes you did.'

I listen to them arguing, all the while thinking about how familiar they all seem.

And when I hear these two brothers' names...

Thunder?

Lightning?

I don't get the chance to say anything because at that moment, Violet squeals, jumps to her feet and rushes toward one of the other men.

'Violet,' Ayla grabs her. 'Don't get to close. They're raiders. They'll hurt you.'

Violet struggles against her.

And the man she was running toward steps toward them.

'They're not raiders,' Violet says.

'They're our people,' I add.

'And that girl you are holding is my daughter,' Violet's father finishes.


	89. Chapter 89

**The Leader (Tulip)**

'So tell me,' the leader says, as he sits down opposite me. 'What do you know about this newcomer to these lands?'

I shake my head. 'I don't understand. What newcomer?'

The leader leans forward. Puts his hand on my knee and stares in my eyes.

And smiles.

Look, you don't have to be scared of me. I mean you no harm.'

I blink. 'You killed my...'

'An unfortunate event,' he says, almost sighing. 'But that's in the past. I regret it but I can't change it.'

'You regret...'

He nods. 'I do my dear. I believe if we'd been given different circumstances, then we could have been friends. In fact, I think we still could be.'

'You want to be my...'

'Friend? Yes. I want us to let bygones be bygones and start anew.'

'Why?'

He laughs and sits back. 'Isn't it obvious?'

I shake my head.

'I see something of myself in you and...'

I twist my mouth into a scowl. 'I am not like you.'

He laughs. 'Actually, you are very like me. For instance, your temper, it's magnificant. I just wish I hadn't got so angry at you, that I'd allowed myself the time to get to know you. To invite you in.'

'In?'

He waves his hands around. 'Into my merry little gang of course. You'd make an excellent raider.'

'I don't want to...'

'Don't say it,' he says. 'I am offering you something you could only dream of. Riches, a high place in our society, everlasting life.'

'What?'

'You would never die. Think of it, in a thousand years, in tens of thousands of years. Think about how life would change. Think about what life will be like in that far off time. All the things you'd be able to experience. And it could be yours, all in exchange for a little information.'

'I don't know anything.'

'Oh, I think you do. I'm talking about the newcomer. I want you to tell me about him.'

'I don't know...'

The leader slams his hand down on a platform to the side of him.

'You do know,' he says. 'You know a lot about him. So why don't you tell me?'

'But I don't know.'

'But the spirits say you do know. They say you don't know he's here but you know all about him. They say he's your cousin. Rocky. Tell me about Rocky.'


	90. Chapter 90

**What are you doing here? (Violet)**

'What are you doing here?' I ask my father as I hug him.

He kisses the top of my head and then pushes me back, keeping his hands on my shoulders. His eyes search my face.

My breath catches in my throat. 'Is Mother all right? Is she very angry with me?'

He sighs. 'Yes and yes,' he replies. 'But for now your mother doesn't matter. You do. Are you okay Violet? You haven't been hurt in any way have you? When I saw you running away with that boy...'

'Rocky.'

'Yes, Rocky,' he hisses. 'Where is he anyway? Hiding from me?'

'He isn't here.'

'Right. Did he harm you? In any way?'

Rocky? Harm me? What's my father talking about? It's almost as if... Oh.

I look at my father, at every detail of him, the way his forehead is knotted into a frown and his fingers keep curling into a fist as if he wants to hit someone. His mouth is twisted to the side, his lips tight and his eyes feel like they could bore holes in my head as they search for the truth in my brain.

His cheek twitches, something that only happens when he's upset, or angry.

'He didn't...' I start to say, my mouth suddenly dry. I blush. 'We didn't just run away, we did it because we both wanted to find those that the raiders had taken.'

'And still he hides from me.'

I shake my head. 'He isn't hiding from you.'

My father opens his mouth to speak again but then closes it as we hear someone whining nearby. 'We'll talk about this later,' he says.

And then hurries over to where Lightning is trying to take charge.'


	91. Chapter 91

**Everlasting Life (Tulip)**

'So if I tell you everything I know about Rocky, I'll be given everlasting life?'

The leader nods his head.

'All right, I'll tell you.'

He claps his hands and squeal with delight. And then coughs. 'Tell me then?' he says in a voice much deeper than the one he usually uses.

The edges of my lips twitch but I manage to stop myself from laughing.

'Rocky,' I lean forward toward the leader.

Who leans closer to me.

'My cousin.'

'Yes, your cousin.'

'And intended.'

'Intended?'

'To be married.'

'Oh yes, of course,' he pats my hand. 'You have my congratulations. When is the happy day to be?'

I smile. 'Not for a few years yet.'

'You must tell me all about your intended. What does he like? How old is he? What's his favourite food?'

'His favourite food? That's easy, he loves raspberries. Absolutely adores them. He'd eat them all day if he could. I've seen him empty a raspberry bush in only a few moments.'

The leader nods and his eyes gleam. 'It sounds like he's addicted to them.'

'Yes, it does doesn't it?'

'And what else? How old is he?'

'Twenty. He's twenty summers old. Yes, I know. He's a bit too old for me but you can't deny love when you find it.'

'He loves you?'

'Of course. How could he not?' I try to lift a hand to flick my hair but of course, they're tied to the carved wooden seat I'm sat on. 'I am the main young woman of the summer meeting.'

'Yes, you are. I remember you saying before...'

The image of my mother engulfed with fire fills my mind.

'Tell me more,' the leader quickly says.

An obvious attempt to stop me thinking about what he'd done.

And how it was my fault.

Something I won't repeat.

I won't betray Rocky.

'He's tall and strong. His muscles are massive. And he loves fighting. Especially wrestling.'

The leader sits back.

He looks, worried.

I don't think he's happy about what I've told him.

I think he's worried that Rocky will beat him up.

He should worry more about me.

'He has a weakness though.'

The leader smirks. 'He does?' he says. 'Tell me about it.'

'I don't know. You say he's in nowhere land. What if someone hears me tell you and they tell him? He'll be angry with me.'

'I won't let him hurt you.'

'You won't?'

He leans a bit closer. 'You will be quite safe with me.'

I nod my head. 'All right. But come closer and I'll whisper it.'

He comes so close that I can feel his breath on my face.

It smells of honey and herbs but underneath, I can smell the stench of rot.

'His only weakness,' I say. 'Is...'

'Yes my dear?'

'His only weakness is he likes to nut people.'

And then I bang my head against his.

Hard.

And the leader?

He sits there, looking confused.

And then faints.


	92. Chapter 92

**Home (Storm)**

'I think we should go home,' Lightning says. 'After all, we've found some of our people and know where others are. We've got more than enough to make sure we survive. Especially as the survivors are either children or of child bearing age.'

I've been helping put a tent up but drop one side of it when I hear what Lightning is saying.

I turn around and see him standing with his brother Thunder.

Who is shaking his head.

'What about your daughter? What about my son?'

'I am sad that Tulip is dead but...'

I can't believe what he's saying. Before I know it, I'm charging over, waving my arms in the air.

'She's not dead,' I shout. 'How dare you say she's dead?'

'She's as good as dead. I've closed off my mind to her. I don't want to think about her. We need to think of the living. And the advancement of our people. We won't get strong if we stay here. We need to get back, get sorted for winter.'

'But...'

'But nothing. You are little more than a boy. You have no right to question me. I am a leader. I am in charge. I decide how things are.'

'You decide?'

'Yes, I do. Now go away so your betters can discuss the best way forward.'

'My betters? You're not my better?'

'Excuse me. How dare you?' He lifts a hand to hit me.

I take a deep breath and smile. Grab his hand. 'Would my better cheat?' I say. 'Because I know all about Tulip.'

Lightning gasps and then shakes his head. 'Cheat?' he says in a high pitched voice. 'I know nothing about cheating. Tulip made that mince pie fair and square. It wasn't my wife.'

'Who said anything about a mince pie brother?' Thunder asks.

'Well I, um, that is...' he flusters. 'I just assumed that was what he was talking about.'

'Because your wife made the best mince pies?' I ask.

'Yes, she did. And the summer meeting one, it was her best one...'. He gulps. 'That is, Tulip's mince pie was lovely.'

'She told me everything,' I say. 'After her mother was murdered. She told me that you allowed her mother to help her cheat because you didn't want Violet to be the main young woman.'

I glance at where Violet is stood.

Watching us.

Taking in every word.

She doesn't look happy.

Neither does her father.

She just standing still. Staring at us. A frown on her face.

Her father though...

He looks furious.

'Why?' he says, marching over and grabbing Lightning's tunic. 'Why would you do that?'

'I didn't,' Lightning shrieks. 'The boy is lying.'

Violet's father shakes him. 'Tell me the truth.'

'I am.'

'No you're not,' I shout.

'Tell me why?' Violet's father demands again. 'Tell me.'

'And tell me too,' Violet says, walking over. 'Look me in the eyes and tell me why you allowed your daughter to cheat me?'

Her father shakes Lightning again.

'Brother,' he says, twisting his head to look at Thunder.

'Just tell them,' he says.

Violet's father shakes his so hard that his teeth bang together.

'I...'

'Yes?'

'I allowed it for the good of our people.' He points at Violet. 'If she'd won, she wouldn't have wanted her intended to go on the hunt. She would have wanted to go herself. But that would have been wrong. It would have gone against the traditions of our people. I couldn't allow that. Surely you can see I couldn't allow that?'

Thunder sighs. 'No, I don't,' he says. 'But what I do see is a leader who has allowed himself to be corrupted or has corrupted himself. I see someone who doesn't deserve to be a...'

'No,' Lightning screams.

'I see someone who has used his position for his own benefit. I'm sorry Lightning...'

'Don't say it Thunder. Please. I came on this trip because you said I had to. I thought we should stay where we were but I allowed you to have your way. And now you want to take my position away from me? How can you do that to me?'

'You did it to yourself Lightning.' He shakes his head sadly. 'I will inform the hunters not to obey you. At least for the moment, you are no longer a leader.'


	93. Chapter 93

**Raspberries (Rocky**)

'Thank you but I can't eat them,' I say, eyeing a bowl of raspberries a woman's tried to give me. 'Those things always give me hives. Anyway, I don't have time for eating. None of us do. Not if we want to rescue Tulip.'

'There is always time for eating,' she says. And then pats me on the shoulder. 'I will get you a couple of grain cakes for you to eat on the way. Thanalar told me to tell you to be ready by sundown.'

I stare out the mouth of the cave at the bright sunshine outside.

'We need to go now,' I mutter. 'The sun won't go down for hours.'

I watch as the woman walks back to me, a packet in one hand and a waterbag in the other.

She gives them to me.

'I need to go now,' I tell her, standing up and hanging the waterbag from a loop on my backpack. I put the package inside. 'Tell Thanalar that I will go ahead. He should meet me at the raiders' camp.'

'You should wait,' she says.

'Maybe,' I agree. 'But I'm not going to.'

I pick up a dangerous looking weaponand, a curved knife attacked to a long pole thst glints in the sun. What the blue people call a scythe.

And then I walk out of the cave.

And head toward the mainland.

Fly over the water.

Fly to where the raiders are camped by the water's edge.

I land by a boulder. Scurry behind it and watch them.

They are running around.

And a man is shouting orders.

A man I somehow know.

The leader.

The man I have to fight.

He glances toward where I'm hidden.

Does he know I am here?

He starts to walk toward me.

'I know you're there,' he says. 'And I know what you are. But do you know what? I don't care. I don't care about what they've done to you. I just want to be friends.'

Friends? With him?

I snort.

'I've got you a present,' he says. 'A bowl of lovely fresh raspberries. Come on Rocky, come out from behind that rock. I know you're there.'

'Not for raspberries, I won't. If you're want to kill me, you're going the right way offering me those disgusting raspberries.'

He frowns. 'But I thought you liked...' He sighs and glanes over at a large tent. 'Very good Tulip. You will pay for that.'

Pay? He's going to make Tulip pay? Not while I'm her cousin he's not.

I push my feet hard against the ground and fly above the boulder, waving the scythe with my hands.

The leader frowns when he sees me. And then starts to laugh. 'You're just a boy,' he says, and throws his spear at me.

I deflect it with the scythe.

And then I fly down and thrust the scythe toward him.

And I'm lucky.

And he isn't.

The scythe hits his wrist.

Cuts through it.

Cuts his hand off.

Which flies through the air, something green spouting from it like drops of blood

It lands in the water.

And something.

Some sort of scaly creature lurches out of the water.

And swallows the hand whole.


	94. Chapter 94

**The Raiders' Cave (Storm)**

I suppose I just want a breather.

A bit of space from everyone.

And time to think about my actions.

Was I right to accuse Lightning like that?

Yeah, he did a bad thing but did he deserved to be humiliated in front of everyone?

Maybe I should have just told Thunder and let him deal with it.

I sigh. I suppose it doesn't matter.

Not compared to everything else.

I walk over to some trees and lean against one.

Stare at the cave nearby.

A cave that wasn't there before.

I almost shout out with delight when I realise what I'm seeing.

The raiders' cave is visible.

I run back to our camp to tell the others.


	95. Chapter 95

**Trying to escape (Tulip)**

I tried to get away after I nutted the leader, hoped to slip out of the tent and somehow get back to the island.

But the leader wasn't out long enough for that. I'd only reached the edge of the camp when I heard him shouting.

I tried to hide in a small tent.

Which stank of, well you know what.

Yep, I'd found their latrine.

Including a man who was crouched over a hole in the ground, his baggy leggings by his ankles.

I blushed when I see him. Backed away and fell over something.

As I scrabbled on the ground, he pulled his baggy leggings up and headed over to me.

I stood up and backed away from him.

He laughed. And then reached out to grab me.

'Don't touch me,' I said. 'You haven't washed your hands.'

He lurched forward.

I ran toward the flap of the tent, the man right behind me.

'Come back here beauty,' he shouted.

I ignored him and jumped away as he lunged himself at me.

'You little witch,' he said.

I ran out of the tent.

Just in time to see Rocky.

Flying.

Flying?

He's wielding some sort of weapon.

Which he slams down on the leader's wrist

Cutting his hand off.

And then I feel my knees buckle underneath me.

And the ground opens up under my feet.

I fall down some sort of crevice.

Or hole in the ground.

And I feel a sort of pull, just like the one I felt when I arrived in nowhere land.

All around me is shiny light.

Surrounding me. Encasing me. Engulfing me.

Is this death? I wonder. Or am I going back to the raiders' cave?


	96. Chapter 96

**The Lights (Violet)**

They didn't know what hit them.

The raiders didn't even know their cave was visible. They were going about their business, sleeping, eating, sitting around talking, when we attacked.

It was over before they could retaliate.

And we had then trapped against the cliff war, the group of them huddled there.

Looking scared.

Well apart from an old woman who glares at us.

And start to chant.

'Stop it,' one of the Zelendonii says, thrusting a spear at her.

The old woman touches its tip and smiles.

And keeps on chanting.

I don't notice it at first.

Dust.

Swirling around their ankles and then up to their knees, where it thickens and flickers of shiny light appear in it.

That grows brighter as it replaces the dust and grows into a wall that encloses them.

Rises up over their heads.

Thickens so much that it is impossible to see through it.

And then it shatters, stars of light cascading from it.

To reveal an empty space.

The raiders are gone.

But we don't have time to be shocked because the raiders are immediately replaced by one person.

A girl.

She crouches on the path, her arms wrapped around her head.

The lights settle, and disappear and the girl puts her arms down and looks around.

It's Tulip.

'Where am I?' she says, her whole body trembles. 'Am I dead. Is this the afterlife?'

'No,' I say. 'You're in the raiders cave.'

She looks at me. 'Violet? Is that you?'

'It is.'

She stand up and flies at me.

I shrink back from her, afraid she's going to hit me.

She doesn't though.

She hugs me instead.

And I, standing there, feeling rather awkward, pat her on the back.

And then she looks at me. 'Where are the raiders?' she says, looking around.

'They're gone,' I tell her. 'A shiny light wall took them.'

She groans.

'What's wrong?' I ask.

'Rocky needs help. I need to get back to nowhere land and was hoping that the raiders would have...' She shakes her head.

'What?'

She laughs. 'I was hoping they'd send me back. But that's stupid. They would have never have helped me.'

'Go back? Where?' I realise what she's said. 'You've seen Rocky?'

She nods. 'And he's all alone and needs help. I have to go back and help him. I can't let another person from my family die.'

'He needs help?'

'Yes but only the raiders know how to get to nowhere land. They have the power of the spirits behind them.'

'But...' I tap my chin as I think. 'Maybe there's another way.'

She looks up at me. 'Really?'

I don't answer her, instead I fill my chest with air.

And shout.

'We need your help.'

Tulip frowns. 'Who are you talking to?'

I smile. 'You'll see.'

And I see a flicker of light beside her. That materialises into Rocky's mother.

Tulip jumps when she sees her. Scurries away. 'She's a...' she shudders.

'A spirit?' I nod. 'Yes, she is. But she's on our side.'

'But...'

I ignore her and turn to Rocky's mother. 'Rocky is trapped in...'

'Nowhere land,' Tulip says.

'Yes, nowhere land. And he needs help. Would you be able to send...'

'Send you to nowhere land?'

'Yes.'

'And the others?'

She frowns. 'That would be hard but yes, I could do that.'

'And me?' Tulip asks. 'Can you send me too?'

Rocky's mother looks at her and shakes her head. 'You should stay here.'

'What? No, I have to go and help him. Please.'

'You don't understand what you ask. If I sent you back to nowhere land, it would be dangerous. For you. You would have to give up much of yourself. You would never be the same again.'

'I don't care. Rocky's my cousin. I can't let others go there and risk their lives. I have to go too. I don't care about the cost.'

'Are you sure?' Rocky's mother asks.

'Yes. I need to go.'

'All right, but stand back. I will tell you all when it is safe.'

I pull Tulip away and then watch as Rocky's mother waves her arms.

In front of her, the swirling lights appear. Forming a wall of cascading lights.

The others hang back, not able to see Rocky's mother, only the wall.

'Rocky needs us,' I say. 'And Rocky is on the other side of that.'

'There are others too,' Tulip says. 'The rest of our people and other people too.'

'Zelendonii?' Ayla asks.

Tulip nods her head. 'Yes, there are Zelendonii. Many. One of them rescued me. A man called Thanalar.'

One of the raiders' slaves gasps at the name and runs into the light. 'Thanalar,' she says. 'I'm coming.'

And one by one, the rest of the Zelendonii follow. As do my people.

But Thunder stops in front of the swirling light wall.

'How is this possible?' he asks and then his eyes widen when he sees the spirit.

His wife.

He steps toward her. Puts out his arms. 'My love,' he says.

'Just get through the portal and help our son,' she says.

'But...'

'I will come with you.' She floats over to him, lifts a hand to stroke his cheek.

He shivers.

And then she enters the lights.

And he follows.

'Go on,' Tulip says. 'You go next. I just want to...'

I nod. I don't know what sacrifice Tulip has to make to go back but I know she needs a moment on her own to just breath.

I walk into the light.


	97. Chapter 97

**Changed (Tulip)**

I know that she warned me that I'd have to give up much of myself if I returned to Nowhere land but I didn't expect this.

I didn't expect to be shrunk to the size of a bug.

Or for everything else to look so big.

I stand there, the swirling light behind me and stare at the massive leaves on a nearby bush.

How can I help Rocky when I'm so small?

I jump back as a pair of running feet nearly stands on me.

Except.

My jump continues. I remain in the air. Flying like Rocky.

I feel something flickering behind my back and twist around to see wings.

Tiny, brightly coloured wings like a butterfly.

I glance down at my body, scared I'll have a butterflies body too but I still look human. I have hand and feet, arms and legs, a tummy. I still have clothes on. I feel my face. Still me. And I still have hair. I grab some and pull it forward. 'And it's still blonde. I'm still human, just an incredible small human with wings.

I realise that my wings are still fluttering and my feet aren't touching the ground.

But instead of lowering myself, I start to fly.

And look for Rocky.


	98. Chapter 98

Fight! (Rocky)

Everything seemed to speed up after I cut off the hand of the leader.

I don't know if it was shock that made me think so.

I hadn't expected the scythe to cut of his hand.

I certainly didn't expect that monster to rise up out of the water and swallow it. It's still out there. I'm sure it is. And I think I can hear the stones of the bracelet the leader was wearing banging together in its stomach.

But what if it wasn't shock? Could it have been something else? Maybe the green blood had some sort of effect on me. Could it have tricked me, almost drugged me and changed what I though I saw?

Or could things have really sped up?

Did the moment his green blood hit the water activate something?

Or some beings?

Because suddenly I could see others behind the raiders.

Strange beings with shiny skin.

They flitted between the raiders, lunges toward me and then backing away as if burnt.

The leader screamed when I cut his hand off.

It must have really hurt.

But then he pulled the sleeve of his tunic over his wound, ripping it at the shoulder and wrapped something tight around the stump.

And then he looked at me. And ran at me so fast, I didn't have time to move out of the way.

At least, I shouldn't have had time.

But yet I moved.

And he kept on running and nearly ended up in the water

And the waiting jaws of that monster.

He stopped though and spun on the spot and ran at me.

'I'm going to make you pay for cutting off my hand boy,' he says, spittle flying from his mouth.

'What are you going to do?' I mock him. 'Strangle me?' I snort and lift off the ground, flying toward him with the scythe. 'That monster looks hungry. 'Maybe it would like your other hand. Or what about a leg?'

'You will regret this day boy. You will regret the day you crossed Hookio.'

'Is that your name?' I snort. 'You're a hook. A hook for hanging your outer tunic on?' I tilt my head to one side. 'Hey maybe you should get someone to carve you a hook that you could strap to your arm. Then you could be hook by name and hook by hand.'

'Yes boy. I think I will. My only regret is I won't be able to skewer you on it. But of course you will be alteady dead.'

'Don't bet on it,' I say as I sense two groups of people heading for us from different locations.

And strangely enough, I can sense something very small but undeniably at least part human zooming toward me.

It seems that help is at hand.

Especially as I can sense another group, who are not human heading toward us too.

But I'm not worried because I know they will help me

Because they are led by the spirit that sent me here.


	99. Chapter 99

**A foul tent (Storm)**

We run up the hill and immediately start fighting. Across the water in boats, more come and join the fight.

And from somewhere I do not know or understand, a third group appear and start fighting the evil spirits.

And in the middle, Rocky and some strange sort of bug or spirit flit around.

The raiders are soon defeated and surrounded.

And the evil spirits are pushed by the other, good, spirits and Rocky and the bug onto a foul smelling tent.

Which crumples around them.

The good spirits stand around the collapsed tent. Their arms outstretched and light floods from their fingers like thick rope, binding the tent and its content together and then pushing it deep into the ground, burying it under rocks and soil which closes over it.

And the moment the ground closes over it, and the bad spirits, the raiders collapse into each other.

And shiny light floods off them, flies up into the air and disappears.


	100. Chapter 100

**After (Violet)**

It is only after the bad spirits have been defeated and the raiders collapsed that I notice how Rocky has changed.

He looks so different.

Yeah, I'd noticed that he could fly. How could I not? But with the danger over, I can finally see what has been done to him.

He still looks like my Rocky but he's different too. His eyes have changed from grey to a shade of green and his skin looks too pale. It seems to almost glow like the moon. His hair is still the same, though a little longer than when I last saw him.

And he has no shadow.

Not that I care what he looks like.

I watch as he makes sure everyone is all right.

Even those he doesn't know.

He goes to stand next to Ayla. Obviously wants to introduce himself. But she only has eyes for the man in front of her.

One called Thanalar.

Who she hugs and calls her son.

I can't help seeing how sad her reaction to Thanalar makes him.

Because his mother is dead?

Or because he lost his real mother a long time?

I don't know.

But he isn't going to be hugged by either mother ever again.

Which is sad.

I hurry over to him, wanting to hug him.

I reach out my arms.

'Don't touch him,' a voice says.

I turn to the speaker. It's one of the good spirits.

'Why?'

'Because he's missing his shadow and his body will steal yours if you touch him. And then you would die.'

I put my hands by my side and step away from Rocky.

The spirit moves away.

Ayla and Thanalar have turned to look at us.

And for the first time.

I see.

Someone who looks like Rocky used to.

I open my mouth about to comment on it but Rocky shakes his head.

'Why?' I mouth.

Someone shouts Ayla and she and Thanalar go to see who wants her.

Leaving us alone.

'He looks like you,' I say.

He shakes his head. 'He looks like I used to look. But not anymore.'

'But?'

'She's my real mother. I recognised her as soon as I saw her.'

'You should tell her? Tell her who you are?'

He shakes his head. 'No, she's had enough heartache. She's just found Thanalar, her lost son, my elder brother.'

'She's found another son too,' I say. 'I'm sure she'd be estatic to find you.'

'Look at me Violet. Look at what I've become. She lost a little boy. I don't think I'm even human now. No, let her remember that little boy and not know him for the monster he has become.'

'You're not a monster.'

'No? You can't even touch me because I'd kill you. I call that a monster.'

'But...'

He shakes his head. 'I don't want her to know. Okay? Please don't tell her.'

Icy tears are flowing of his cheeks as he stares at me.

I nod my head. 'I won't say anything,' I say.

But I hope she'll find out anyway.


	101. Chapter 101

**Dust (Tulip)**

I fought by Rocky's side during the battle.

I annoyed those he was fighting by flying in their faces, pulling their hair, pinching their noses, blowing raspberries in their ears.

They seemed confused when I attacked. Not knowing what was happening because they didn't see me.

It was great fun.

And when I realised that when I flew over them, they started to sneeze, I did it over and over again.

They'd sneeze and their skin would turn green as if they were about to throw up.

And then their legs collapsed under them and they didn't have the strength to lift their spears.

For a while.

And then one of the bad spirits would revive them and they started to fight again.

Until I flew over them once again.

One time, I looked back as I flew over one.

And saw.

Dust.

Sparkly dust rubbing off my wings.

And falling on them.

One time though, I flew over one of the Zelendonii.

Quite by accident.

The one who had saved me from the mermaids.

Thanalar.

And he didn't sneeze or collapse though.

He got stronger, dispatching the raiders with an impressive speed.

He was nearly as fast as Rocky.

I watched the two of them for a while, fighting almost shoulder to shoulder, one older, the other younger and changed.

But…

They looked so similar.

I realised then that Thanalar was just like Rocky, the old Rocky, in a few years.

He had the same brown hair.

A bit of it even stuck up at the back of his head.

Just like Rocky's hair.

His eyes were the same colour as Rocky's.

And his face was the same shape.

He even moved the same way as Rocky.

Though of course he couldn't fly.

That's when I thought they looked like brothers.

And realised, with a sort of ability to know the truth, that they were indeed brothers.

And the woman fighting near them, her blonde and grey hair flying out behind her, was their mother.

I wanted to tell Rocky straight away.

Somehow freeze everyone so he'd know.

But of course, things like that don't happen in real life.

I wasn't able to freeze the battle and had to wait until it was over.

And our side had won.

Before I could speak to him.

But of course, Violet got to him first.

I took a deep breath into my miniscule lungs when I saw her walking toward him.

It was obvious that they had feelings for each other.

And I'm sure that Violet wanted to know where she stood.

So I waited until they stopped talking and tried not to smile when she found out she couldn't hug him.

I will not be mean.

I will not glory in the misfortunes of others.

I listened to them as they talked about his mother.

Finding out he recognised her as such.

But didn't want to tell her the truth because he considered himself a monster.

So I knew that there wasn't any point informing him of what he already knew.

But his mother was a different story.

So now, I fly after her and Thanalar.

Who are heading toward a tent.

I slip in through the flap, and wait for them, sitting on a bit of thick rope that holds the tent in place.

So when they come in and sit, I can hear them though they don't know I'm there.

'I have missed you Mama,' Thanalar says.

'And I have missed you too Thanalar. It has been a long time.'

They hug and then separate, and Ayla glances toward the flap of the tent.

'What is it?' he asks.

She shakes her head. 'Oh nothing,' she responds. 'I just…'

'What?'

She shakes her head. 'I am being silly.'

'But…?'

'That boy, that strange boy…'

'The one who can fly?'

'Yes.'

'What about him?'

'Doesn't he remind you of someone?'

'No. Does he remind you of someone?'

She laughs. 'They say everyone has a twin somewhere. I think he could be yours.'

'Mine? He looks nothing like me.'

'Actually he does. He looks very like you. Yes, I know his skin is different and his eyes, but something has happened to him, something strange. Have you noticed he doesn't have a shadow?'

Thanalar nods his head. 'Like I said, he's strange.'

'Yes, he is strange, but so is this world. You know that best of all people.'

He laughs. 'Yeah, I suppose that's true, and after living in a place for three years, where fish girls try to drag you in the water, where grass gets lonely and where rabbits attack people, then yes, I suppose compared to all that, and more, he's not strange at all. But I still don't think he looks like me.'

She shrugs. 'We never truly know what we look like,' she says. 'After all, you can only see your image in the river, or in a stone that's been polished. But I do know what you look like, I know you best of all, and I can tell you, that he's very like you, and not just in looks but the way he acts too. He could be your twin.'

'Or my younger brother.' He looks at her. 'Do you think?'

'Panidar?' she sighs. 'He's the right age but Panidar was only three summers old when he disappeared. He probably fell in the river or was dragged off by some wild animal. I don't think he could be alive now, and especially not here.'

'I suppose.'

'And he's not even called by the right name.'

'I know, his name is Rocky. I just thought.' He sighs. 'I know how much you missed him.'

'I do miss him, every day, as I missed you. But I have found one son in this place, the chances of finding another son, well they're not good. I don't think its possible.'

I've heard enough. These two have stumbled on the truth but don't believe it. I need to tell Rocky so that he will tell them who he is himself.

I fly to the flap of the tent.

About to go and look for Rocky.

And I see…

Him.

Standing by the flap of the tent.

He's heard every word.

He looks as if he's about to walk through the flap. About to tell Ayla that he is indeed her lost son.

But then from behind me, I hear Ayla yawn.

And she gets up, walks over to the flap, and choses it. Secures it.

Enclosing her and Thanalar inside, along with other, already sleeping Zelendonii.

And leaving Rocky outside.

Almost like he's been rejected.

He turns and looks away from the tent.

And then walks away.

But I don't follow him.

I want to, but there is something I need to do more.

I slip through a gap in the tent, and fly over to Ayla.

Fly above her head, and rub my wings together.

So dust falls on her head.

And with every scrap of strength within me, I will her to work out the truth of who Rocky really is.


	102. Chapter 102

**Where's Tulip? (Storm)**

'Do you think she stayed behind after all?' I ask Violet the next day.

She shrugs. 'She said she was going to come right through but I never saw her. But she was so eager to get back here. She was so worried about Rocky. I don't think she would have just stayed there. I think she would have come back. If she could.'

I nod my head. 'I agree. So what happened to her? I've looked everywhere, and asked everyone and no one has seen her. It is almost like she's disappeared, or didn't come at all. Do you remember what Rocky's mother said, that if she tried to come back, much would be taken from her. Do you think that the portal only let her enter one side, but didn't let her get back here? She could be…' I shudder. 'I didn't like the way that the portal made me feel. I don't like the idea of her trapped within it.'

'Maybe we should ask Rocky's mother. She created the portal, she's got to know if she came through or stayed behind, or got trapped half way.'

'You're right.' I jump up. 'I think I should find her,' I say. 'I just hope she hasn't disappeared too.'

Violet pulls herself to her feet. 'I'll come with you. I reckon we'll find Rocky's mother with his father.'

'And where is he?'

She shrugs. 'No idea, but we'll find him.' She puts her hand on my arm. 'And we'll find Tulip too.'

We walk toward where a big fire is burning, with cooking pots arranged around it.

My stomach rumbles when I smell the food cooking inside, but I haven't got time to eat. I need to find Tulip first.

But we do find Thunder there.

Well, we hear him first.

Laughing as he stuffs his mouth with breakfast grains and fruit.

He wipes his mouth when he sees us walking over to him, and turns around and says something to the faded, as in we can see through her, woman next to him.

Rocky's mother.

Looking like she's not really here.

'I have my wife again,' Thunder says, smiling brightly. 'She's a bit faded at the moment, but I reckon, if she rests, then she'll get stronger again.'

But looking at her, I don't think that's going to happen.

She looks like a strong gust of wind could blow her away.

Literally.

Someone comes over and passes a bowl of grains to Violet.

And another to me.

But I just hold mine. I don't even try to eat. I'm too worried about Tulip.

Rocky's mother looks so sad, but smiles when she sees us.

'What can I do for you?' she asks, her voice far too high pitch.

'We're looking for Tulip,' I say. 'In fact, I've been looking for her since the battle but can't find her. I'm hoping you can tell us where she is. Did she come through the portal?'

She nods her head.

'All the way through? She's not trapped within it is she?'

'No. She came all the way through. All the way through and joined in the fight too. But…'

I frown. 'But what?'

'She's changed.'

'Changed how? Do you mean she's like Rocky now?'

'No, she's different to Rocky.'

Something lands on the edge of my bowl and I go to brush it off.

And then the something flies up into my face and blows a raspberry in my face.

I blink.

'That's rude Tulip,' Rocky's mother says. 'Don't blow raspberries at Storm.'

'What?'

I violently shake my head because I don't understand, and I'm hoping that rattling my brain will make it work.

'What are you talking about? What's going on?

I hear bells, tiny little bells tinkling near my ear.

'Tulip just told you that you are a very silly boy,' Rocky's mother smiles.

'What do you mean?' Violet asks. 'Tulip isn't here.'

'Isn't she? Are you sure?'

'But… I can't see her,' I say.

The bug flies in front of my eyes and lands on my nose.

And I see that the bug isn't a bug after all.

It's Tulip.

I think.

Tulip shrunk to the size of a bug.

She's even got wings.

Beautiful wings.

Violet gasps next to me. 'Is that Tulip?'

'I think so,' I respond.

I hear bells again. Bells that seem to have words within them.

'Of course it's me,' she says, shaking a tiny little fist.

She's so cute.

'But, I don't understand. What happened to you?'

Rocky's mother sighs. 'I said that if she came back here that much would be taken from her. Well, her life has been taken.'

Her life?

'Is she like Rocky?' Violet asks. 'The old woman by the sea who knows everything. She said that his life would be required if he wanted to find our people. Is that what's happened to Tulip too?'

'Yes, sort of. She's changed, isn't really human anymore. But then again, neither is my Rocky.'

'Will she become normal size again?'

'No, I don't think so. I think that the change is forever.'

'Forever?' Violet says. 'She won't die?'

'I don't know but maybe not.'

'So she's going to get to spend eternity with Rocky?' I can hear jealousy in her voice.

And so does Rocky's mother.

'I don't think Rocky and Tulip will ever be together,' she says. 'So you don't have to be jealous. He's big and she's tiny.'

'But…' I sigh.

Rocky's mother floats over to me. Stares at me with her sad eyes. 'I know that you hoped,' she says. 'Hoped that one day, you and Tulip would get together, but it isn't possible now. I'm sorry.'

I look down at my hands, onto which Tulip has flown.

'I'm sorry,' she echoes Rocky's mother's words.

'Me too,' I say. 'But at least you are, well at least sort of, all right.'

'Why's everyone looking so sad?' a voice says, and Rocky, his skin still too pale, plonks down next to me. 'What's going on?'

And then he sees who is stood on my hand.

'Tulip? Tulip Belle, is that you?'

She says something in her bell sounding words.

Something a bit rude.

But it sounds so charming coming out of her tiny mouth that it just makes us laugh.

'I don't want to be called Tulip anymore,' she says. 'Tulip was who I was, who I've left behind. Now I am someone else. Just call me by my second name, Belle.'

She flies up and lands on Rocky's ear.

'Okay,' he says. 'Tulip no longer exists, you are now called Belle,' he grins. 'Tinklebell.'

'I don't like that,' she says, in her tiny voice. 'It sounds like someone having a wee in a bell.'

'Okay,' Rocky says. 'What about Tinker Bell then?'

She grins, and then flies off.

And Rocky turns to look at me. 'I'll look after her,' he says. 'I promise.'

I nod my head.

I knew as soon as I saw her stood on my nose that she wouldn't be returning with us.

And now, looking at him, I know Rocky won't either.

I blink, trying to stop tears forming in my eyes.

Rocky stands up and goes to fill a bowl with grain and then stands by the fire, on his own and starts to eat.

Some of the Zelendonii glance nervously at him.

'How long have you got left?' I hear Violet ask and turn my head to see she's talking to Rocky's mother.

Who looks even more faded than when we sat down.

'Not long,' Rocky's mother says. 'Soon it will be time for me to move on to the next world. I guess I've done too much, too quickly and am nearly burnt out. I just have one thing left to do.'

'Say goodbye to Thunder?'

I glance at the man, but he's busy talking to someone else and doesn't realise what they're talking about.

Rocky's mother shakes her head. 'I've already done that, but he doesn't believe me. He's always been a stubborn man, a brilliant and wonderful but stubborn man. But he will be all right. He'll go back to our cave and our children, he'll marry again and be happy. I'm not worried about him.'

'Then who?'

'Rocky.' She glances over to where Ayla and Thanalar are sitting. 'He needs to be reunited with his real mother and family before I can go. Ayla needs to acknowledge him as her son.'

'What?' I shout, loudly, as shouts tend to be. But I can't help it. I know that Rocky's wondered for a long time who his mother is, but for her to turn out to be Ayla… Is that even possible?

Ayla and Thanalar glance over and then look back at their bowls of grain and continue eating and quietly talking.

'Ayla is your mother?' I mouth at Rocky.

He shrugs and comes and sits back down next to me.

'Does she know?'

'No, and I don't want you to tell her.'

'Why?'

'Look at me Storm, take a good look at me. Notice how her people look at me. How our own people look at me. I'm different now, and different is scary. I don't want her to know that her little boy became this monster.'

'You're not a monster.'

'Aren't I? Are you sure?'

'Yes, I am. Rocky, we've been friends since you were washed up on that rock you were named after. I know you, deep down, I know you as well as I know myself. You are what you are now because you sacrificed yourself for those that you say are frightened of you now. You're not a monster. You're the farthest thing from a monster.'

He smiles and I go to touch his hand.

'Don't touch me,' he says. 'You mustn't touch me, or you will die.'

I move my hand back. 'Okay, I won't touch you.'

He nods at the ground. 'I've got no shadow you see. Not until the good spirits return it to me. They said that if someone was to touch me as I am now, that my body would steal their shadow and they'd die.' He sighs. 'So you see; I am a monster after all.'

I shake my head but don't say anything because what can I say?

We sit quietly for a while.

I eat my cooling grains.

Ayla and Thanalar and most of the Zelendonii leave, as does Violet.

After Thunder has decided he's had enough, and goes off somewhere, with his spirit wife trailing him, and we are alone, Rocky turns to me.

'Will you do something for me?'

'Of course,' I respond. 'You're my best friend, I'd do anything for you.'

'Look after Violet.'

'Violet?'

He puts his bowl on the ground and sighs as he sits back up. 'Tulip was named as my intended, but she was never the one I wanted. It was always Violet that I liked. Violet that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. But now my life is going to be far longer than I thought, and though I still feel the same, I know I can't be a part of Violet's life.'

'Of course you can,' I say. 'I'm pretty sure that Violet feels the same way about you. I know things are different now, I'm pretty certain that you won't be returning to our people, but she could stay with you.'

'Violet is twelve years old Storm.'

'And you're thirteen. I don't understand what you mean.'

'She needs to go home. She needs her parents, and her family. She needs time to grow up.'

'Yes, I know, but Rocky, you're going to live forever. Surely you can wait for her?'

'I could but in five years' time, when she has gained her independence and doesn't need her parents and family so much, when she's seventeen and is ready to marry, what will I be? I'll tell you, I will be as I am now. A boy of thirteen years, on the cusp of manhood. Something I will never reach.'

'Oh, yes. I see.'

'Me and Violet can never be together. But…'

'But what?'

'I need to know she'll be all right. Will you make sure she's all right? Will you look after her for me?'

I gulp and then nod my head.


	103. Chapter 103

**Skull Rock Island (Violet)**

I spend the day with some of the Zelendonii who were trapped in Nowhere land.

Hunting.

Gathering.

And though I am warned that this place is dangerous, I don't see any sign of that.

The flowers smell sweet.

The bees buzz in the air but don't sting.

The grass, left to grow to hand height, remains grass. It moves gently in the breeze but doesn't try to wrap itself around our legs.

And the rabbits, though rather ragged from being attacked, and though they have wounds and red tinged fur, seem as gentle as any I have seen.

They jump around. Almost into our bags.

'I could almost want to stay and live here now,' one of the Zelendonii says. 'If I wasn't so eager to get back to my birth land.'

'Yes,' another agrees. 'I reckon with the spirits and their power gone, that it's reverted back to this almost paradise.'

I don't know about that. I only saw this place for a short time before the battle but I guess the others are right.

I am joined by another as we walk back to camp. I stop to look out at the water to the island where the good spirits are working and sit down on the grass.

She settles on my knee and looks up at me.

'Hello Tulip.'

She puts her hands on her hips.

I sigh. 'Fine. Hello Tinker Bell. What can I do for you?'

She smiles. 'I have come to say I'm sorry,' she says in her bell sounding voice.

'For what?'

'For being a cow. For treating you so badly. For getting my father to ask for Rocky when I knew you liked him. Shall I go on?'

I nod my head. I am not going to let her have my forgiveness so easily.

I am sorry I moaned, sorry I told everyone you'd stolen my kill and got the leaders to give me the best cuts of it.'

'And?'

'I'm sorry I cheated in the cooking competition. I'm sorry I let everyone think I'd made the mince pie when it was actually my mother who made it. Please, please, I was so jealous of you. You've always been the best, and so talented. I couldn't stand it. I wanted to take that which was yours but that was wrong. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. Will you forgive me?'

I want to hug her but she is far too small for that. Instead I nod and put out a finger.

She jumps on it and bends down and wraps her little arms around it.

She tickles.

'I only ever wanted to be your friend,' I say.

'That would have been good,' she says, wiping a tear from her eye.

I glance back at the island. Noting that the good spirits are flying back to the mainland.

Having finished what they were doing.

Carving a massive boulder into the shape of a grinning skull.

'We should get back,' I say, looking at her.

She nods and flies up into the air.

I pick up my basket filled with berries and my rabbit filled bag.

And with me walking and she flying, we make our way back to camp.

There's shouting when we get there.

For one thing, the raiders have awoken and though they've been fed and given water to drink, they ain't happy.

They seem disorientated and are no nicer.

I was hoping they would be.

That with the evil spirits gone, they'd turn into nicer people.

I am sadly incorrect.

Though they can't call on the power of those spirits any longer, it seems they are just as evil as they were before.

I suppose in some ways that they are like a dirk tooth tiger, full of rage and the desire to fulfill their desires, but their teeth have been removed. Or at least, their claws. They are still dangerous but apart from having everlasting life, their powers have been taken from them.

Well that's what the good spirits told us last night.

And they said that the raiders would be put on the island.

The place where people hid from the spirits.

You might think that's silly.

You might think that they should be punished.

But how do you punish those who can never die?

Those who have all the time in the world?

Better for them to be confined. To be somewhere where they're trapped.

And that's the island.

Skull Rock Island.

The Skull that the good spirit carved has been filled with their power so the raiders once on the island won't be able to leave and should someone find themself in Nowhere land, they won't be able to land on the island. The waves, under the influence of the power in the Skull, will push them away.

Well unless the good spirits have sent them to Skull Rock Island because they too are evil and need to removed from the world.

And Rocky will be their guard.


	104. Chapter 104

**Family (Rocky)**

With the raiders safely put on the Skull Rock Island, which is large enough to support them, and everything else sorted, it is nearly time for everyone to leave.

Except for me and Tinker Bell of course.

But first, with the night closing in and the moon casting a gentle glow over the camp, we gather together to celebrate that everything has been sorted.

With a platform laden with food and some of the Zelendonii playing the raiders' musical instruments, we enjoy each others' company.

Including the company of the good spirits.

'It is good,' the lead good spirit says.

I nod my head.

'And yet, one thing remains to be sorted.'

'What?'

'Your mother.'

I glance at the woman who raised me, who's now dead and a spirit herself.

'She's fading,' I say.

'Yes, she is,' he agrees. 'But that is not the mother I am talking of.'

'Oh.' I stare at my hands. 'I don't want her to know who I really am. I'm a monster now.'

'No, you aren't a monster. You are changed yes, but you haven't got enough evil in you for you to be a monster.'

'If someone touches me, my body will steal their shadow and they'll die. Surely that makes me a monster.'

'No, it just makes you shadowless. But that can be rectified.'

He pulls something out of the air and throws it over me. It settles over me, rippling into a shadow.

My shadow.

'Come with me,' the lead good spirit says, standing up. He walks over to the food platform.

I follow him.

'Tomorrow, we will all go our separate ways,' he shouts so everyone can hear. 'Back to our lives, our people, our world. All except for Rocky and the one that was called Tulip but now she is small, calls herself Tinker Bell. They will stay here.'

'Over my dead body,' Thunder shouts. 'Both of them are coming home with us.' He turns to the spirit who was his wife.

She's nearly as transparent as water.

'Tell them Honey,' he says. 'Tell them that they are coming back with us.'

'Things change,' she says. 'And some times people can't go back. Sometimes they have to move on. Live their life, or death, as well as they can.'

He blinks. 'But...'

'Hush. Let's listen to what he has to say.'

I look back at the lead good spirit.

'Rocky, you have given much for the freedom of your people. And much has been taken from you. Even your name. Panidar.'

I turn to look at Ayla, my real mother. Her face drains of colour as she takes on his words and she's mouths my name to herself.

'Your real mother called you Panidar on your naming day. You were her youngest child. Her child born and loved. Loved for three years before you disappeared. Taken by the river.'

Ayla stands up, her bowl shattering on a rock and splattering stew over her leggings.

And my other mother drifts closer.

'The river took you a long way and we spirits kept your head above the water as much as we could and then pushed you onto a rock where you were found by another mother. One who loved you too. But your first mother never forgot her Panidar.'

'Pan,' Ayla says. 'I called him Pan. I only called him Panidar if he was being naughty.'

By now Jondalar, my father I guess, and Thanalar have moved from where they were over to her.

All three of them stare at me.

'Is it possible?' Jondalar asks.

'Little Pan,' Thanalar says and grins. 'Hello little brother.'

And Ayla?

She runs toward me. Grabs me. Enveloped me on her arms. And squeezes me tight. 'My baby,' she gasps, between sobs. 'My little baby.'

I pat her back, not knowing what else to do.

My other mother drifts closer and smiles. 'I am glad you have found her,' she says. 'I just wish it had happened in better circustances.' She sighs. 'But now you are reunited, I can rest.'

'What? No,' I say, reaching out a hand to her. 'You can't go. I need you.'

Ayla glances around.

'Go?' Thunder roars. 'What do you mean go? Honey, you can't go. You can't leave me. You can't leave us. We need you.'

'I have to go my love,' she says. 'It's time. If I don't go now, I will fade away to nothing and cease to exist.'

'But...' both I and Thunder say together.

'Can't you stay a little longer?'

'No, I can't. I have to go. Now. Goodbye my love. Tell Petal and Tree I loved them.' She turns and looks at me. 'Rocky my boy, it's been a pleasure being your mother. I'm just sorry another had to suffer whilst I enjoyed raising you. I would give you back now but of course I can't. But remember this Rocky, you are strong. And whether you are called Rocky or Panidar or a combination of the two doesn't matter. You are always going to be there, throughout history, you will help others. You will be their rock as you will always be my Rocky. She sighs. 'And Ayla's Panidar.'

'Rocky Panidar,' Ayla says. 'It has a nice ring to it.'

'Or Panidar Rocky.'

Ayla smiles.

As does the mother I grew up with.

'His names are written in the stars,' the lead good spirit says, rather cryptically. 'And what they will be in the future is still to be established.'


	105. Chapter 105

**A dance and a kiss goodbye (Rocky)**

Later on, when Ayla, my birth mother, has gone to bed and my adopted mother has left us to move on to the next world, when Jondalar and Thanalar have finished clapping me on the back and gone off to finish packing and Thunder has just gone off to sulk. When Storm gives us our privacy, as does everyone else, with someone gently playing a string instrument nearby, me and Violet walk along the shore line, our bare toes digging into the sand, and the moon over our heads, reflecting on the water.

'Dance with me,' I say. 'Dance with me like we would have danced on our wedding day.'

Our fingers entwine and then slip along our arms to rest on each others' shoulders, our bodies touch, she puts her head on my chest and we dance.

We dance for hours.

And when the music stops, we dance to the beats of our hearts.

'I am going to miss you Violet,' I say, leaning in close to breath her in.

Our feet leave the ground as I take her up into the air.

Holding her close to me.

She doesn't flinch.

'If you can't come back, could I stay here?'

'And what about your parents? Your family and friends?'

'I...'

'You need to go home Violet. You need your parents. You need your people. Yes, we have feelings for each other but how long will that last if you have to give up your parents?'

'I'd be all right.'

'Maybe but what if you grew angry at me? And I guilty? And what about you? If you decided to stay, would the spirits make you like me?'

'I want to be like you.'

'And have to spend your everlasting life here?'

'I've seen worse.'

'Yes, but what about the raiders?'

'They're stuck on Skull Rock Island. They won't cause us any problems.'

'But this place could turn you like them. Do you want to be a raider?'

'No, of course not. I want to be like you.'

'And what am I?'

She shrugs.

'You want to be like me but you have no idea what will happen to you.'

'I guess. But I don't care.'

I push a strand of hair from her face. 'Don't you? Don't you care about your parents? Your people? Helping them rebuild?'

'Yes, of course I do. But I care about you too. And I can't bare the thought I will never see you again.'

I smile. 'And what if I promise you will see me? That I will come and see you each spring.'

'You will? You promise?'

I nod my head. 'I promise, I say. And I lean in close and kiss her goodbye.'


	106. Chapter 106

**Epilogue**

Violet sits outside the young woman tent, a tunic in her lap and awl, thread and beads in her hands.

'Just a few more beads and then it will be ready for tomorrow,' she says to herself as she put the end of the thread in her mouth.

It is just as well that she's nearly finished as the day is rapidly ending and the sky darkening.

Sewing one last bead in place, she holds the tunic out to make sure it is right. .

It needs to look perfect.

And it does.

Snowy white soft leather which glistens with a hundred lights from small and polished glass beads.

Glass found by Storm last year after lightning had hit the sandy bank of the river.

She's spent her spare time since then, honing and polishing the glass into beads and attaching a handful each night onto the tunic.

Attaching them into an arrangements of stars.

'That's nice,' a voice says.

She turns.

Stares.

'Hello Violet,' the boy says, grinning.

Something tiny flies around his head and then speeds off toward the food tent.

'Rocky? Is that you?'

He laughs. 'I don't go by the name Rocky now. The good spirits renamed me. I am now known as Peter, have been for years, though it still means rock.'

'Well I wouldn't know that because I haven't seen you for years.'

He sits down next to her. 'Well I'm here now.'

'But where have you been? What have you been doing?'

'Exploring,' he says. 'Exploring everywhere. I've been to the world of the blue people, up to highest mountain looking for the yetis, further into the dark expanse of space and to the very bottom of the sea to visit the Mere people who are actually nice, not like the harpies that live in Neverland.'

She frowns. 'Neverland?'

'A wonderful place, with an adventure around every corner. You knew it as Nowhere land.'

'Oh.'

'Would you like to visit?' he holds his hand out to me.

She shakes her head. 'I can't.'

He lowers his hand.

Looks so sad.

'Are you lonely there?' she asks. .

'Me? No. I have the Lost Boys.'

'The Lost Boys?'

'And girls. Children who have run away and found their way to Neverland.' He laughs. 'We have so much fun, exploring the forest, swimming in the water, throwing rocks at old Hook?'

'Hook, Rocky?'

He frowns.

'Peter. Who is Hook?'

'Hookio? He was the leader of the raiders. Do you remember him? I cut his hand off you know.'

'Yes.'

'He's got a hook instead of a hand now.'

'Really?'

'Yeah, carved out of wood. I wouldn't like to get at the wrong end of it.'

She laughs. 'Who would?'

'So will you come to Neverland with me?'

'I can't.'

'But why?'

'Because.'

'But...'. He frowns. 'Violet, why can't I see your face? You're sitting in the shadow of the tent and I can't see your beautiful face. It's pretty unfair to be able to see me and I not able to see you.'

She sighs. 'I don't want you to see my face.'

'But why?'

'Because I'm too old for you now.'

'No you're not. At the most you are only a few years older than I am now.' He glances at the tunic. 'Why do you have such a decorated tunic?'

'Because it is a special day tomorrow.'

He frowns and then flies up into the air. 'Special day?' he shouts. 'What's so special about tomorrow that it stops you coming with me?' His lips tremble. 'Is that your wedding dress? Are you getting married tomorrow?'

'No.'

He grins and floats down. 'I'm glad. For a moment I thought...'

'What did you think?' she asks and then as if it's an afterthough says. 'Peter?'

'Storm. I thought you might be getting married to Storm.'

'Oh. Would that be a bad thing?'

He sighs. 'I guess not. But...'

'Because me and Storm. We are together.'

He nods. 'I suppose I did ask him to look after you,' he says. 'So when will you be getting married?'

'We already are. Is that all right?'

'I guess. Is he good to you?'

'Very.'

'Does he still drink Boozing?'

She shakes her head. 'Not for a long time. Not since before...'

He nods. 'What's he do now? I always thought he would make a good storyteller.'

She laughs. 'Yes, he loves to tell a story but he's one of the leaders now.'

'Wow, he says. I've missed so much. My best friend's a leader. I wonder what I would have been by now if I hadn't...?'

She starts to reach for him but snatches back her hand when it passes the shadow of the tent and can be seen.

He frowns when he sees her do this. 'Why...?'

'So what else have you done?' she says. 'Have you seen your mother?'

'Which one?' he grins.

'Either.'

'Well, Honey comes from the next world every so often to check up on me. Thunder is there with her now.'

'Yes, I know. So have you managed to see Ayla?'

'I've visited the Zelendonii a few times, met the rest of her family, seen how they live. Do you know the Zelendonii live with horses and wolves. They help them in their hunting. They didn't bring them when they looked for the ones that Hook had taken. They thought they would make them too conspicuous.'

'Yes, I suppose it would,' she laughs. 'It's strange that they live with animals.'

'Yeah. It is.'

'And how is she?'

He shrugs. 'I haven't been to see her recently but when I did, she'd turned completely grey and Jondalar had lost every strand of his hair. They looked so old.'

'Everyone grows old,' she says.

'Not me.'

She nods her head. 'No, not you.'

'Or you.'

She sighs. 'I wish.'

'No you don't.'

She doesn't speak.

Silence surrounds them.

'So will you come?'

'I can't.'

'Because it's a special day tomorrow?'

'Not just because of that.'

'Why then?'

'Because I'm tired. I'm old and tired and I have responsibilities.'

'Like what?' He shakes his head. 'I wish you'd let me see your face.'

And then he grabs her.

Drags her to the light.

Cowers away.

'You're not Violet,' he says. 'You're her mother. Where is she?'

'I am Violet,' she says. 'But I grew up Rocky. I grew up, got married and had children. You've been gone a long time and in that time, I've got old. This tunic,' she holds it up. 'It's not mine, it's for my daughter. For her first womanhood ceremony tomorrow.'

He looks around. 'Where is she?'

'She's in the...' she stops talking as a young woman walks out of the young woman's tent and walks toward them.

'Mother,' she says. 'I can't find my...' she sees the boy. 'Oh hello, who are you?'

'This is Rocky,' Violet says.

'Rocky? The Rocky? But he's my age.'

'I am called Peter now.'

'Peter, oh what a strange name. I'm called Pansy.'

'Hello Pansy,' he grins. 'Would you like to come on an adventure to Neverland?'

'What? No!' Violet cries. 'No, she can't go.'

'Mother,' Pansy groans. 'I'm nearly a woman now. I should be allowed to do what I want. Anyway, you went there didn't you? And you didn't ask your parents.'

'But...'

'Please Mother.'

'Please Violet.'

She sighs and then nods. 'But you need to be back by tomorrow night.'

'All right Mother.'

'And hold on tight to him when he's flying with you.'

'Yes Mother.'

'Actually, we worked out that the dust from Tinker Bell's wings had magical effects. If I sprinkle some over her, then she'll be able to fly herself.'

Pansy claps her hands and closes her eyes as he sprinkles dust over her.

Immediately, her feet leave the floor.

'Look at me Mother,' she shrieks. 'I'm flying.'

Violet smiles, sadly and nods her head. 'Remember, you have to come back tomorrow.'

'I will Mother. I will.'

And he turns to Violet. 'I will always love you,' he says. 'Always and forever.' And then his feet leaves the ground and he flies up to the excited Pansy.

'Which way?' she asks. 'How do we get there?'

'Do you see the second star in the sky?'

She nods.

'We travel to the second star and then straight on to morning.'

And that's what they do.

And Violet watches them go.

As one day Pansy will watch her daughter leave with him.

And then her daughter.

And her daughter.

Generation after generation.

Right up to and pass a girl called Wendy, a descendant of Violet and Storm.

For that is the story of their family and the boy who will never grow up.

The boy to whom life and death would be awfully big adventures.

The boy named Peter Pan.

The End.


End file.
